


The Haught Heir

by Figment81



Series: House Haught [1]
Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Arranged Marriage, F/F, Inspired by Game of Thrones, Light Angst, Minor Canonical Character(s), Minor Wynonna Earp/Doc Holliday, NaNoWriMo, NaNoWriMo 2018, Pregnancy, Slow Burn, Worldbuilding, minor canonical relationships, period-typical violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2018-11-30
Packaged: 2019-08-14 09:10:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 35,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16489739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Figment81/pseuds/Figment81
Summary: Nicole is the heir to House Haught and it is time she took a wife. Waverly is Lord Earp’s youngest daughter and he intends to profit by her marriage.I’ll be updating daily throughout November if my health allows** This is now the director's cut version. It's been edited and has some additional scenes along with an improved format. **





	1. Trecrath

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my NaNoWriMo project for this year. It’s my first attempt. If I can manage it there will 50,000 words to this fic before the end of the month.

Trecrath was a large island Kingdom that had enjoyed stability for many years. The climate varied wildly between the cold and frozen north where snow and ice covered the ground even in the middle of summer, to the lush verdant midlands where most of the produce of the Kingdom grew, to the warm and balmy south where the capital was located. 

It was ruled by an unambitious King Nedley who had no interest in going to war with his neighbours but was sensible enough to keep a strong Army and Navy to dissuade others from attempting to invade his Kingdom. He ruled with a fair hand and was respected by both the nobility and common man. A strong council of advisers aided in ensuring the Kingdom was as successful as it could be. King Nedley’s sons were of a similar ilk to their father and it was hoped peace and prosperity would continue for years to come. 

Trade flourished between the different regions and only certain luxury goods were traded with neighbouring Kingdoms. An abundance of food meant even the poorest families had enough to eat. A child born in Trecrath could expect to grow up hale and hearty. 

Local governance was handled by the Noble houses in that area. Lands, titles and power were in the King’s gift. Those houses that had close links to the King gained in power and prestige while those at odds with the King found their status dwindling. The King encouraged his Lords to rule justly and fairly and those who disputed a Lord’s judgement could appeal to the King’s Court. 

Houses were ruled by their Lords and only sons could inherit but after some issues with undisciplined first-born sons a law was passed which allowed a Lord to stipulate which son was his heir. If a Lord died without an heir their lands reverted to the King and their title lapsed. If their wife or daughters survived them, provision was made for their future comfort. After a plague struck the Kingdom several generations ago which threatened to end many prominent houses the then King passed a law that any grandson of a Lord born before the Lord died could inherit if he had no surviving sons. 

The nobility wasn’t a closed order. The King could raise anyone to be a Lord. Payment for services rendered to the crown. Newly minted Lords could gain power quickly if they had the ear and confidence of the King. Old established Houses often struggled to maintain their previous glory if they fell out of favour. 

Maesters were the scholars of the Kingdom. They held the knowledge not only of recent developments but those secrets passed down from when the Old Gods had walked amongst them. They were also the healers and their skills were available for all. 

In many ways the Kingdom was considered enlightened amongst its neighbours. It had been discovered that the Maesters could read a child once they developed a sense of self around age five. This reading showed if the child was a boy or girl, neither or both regardless of their physical body. They were also able to determine if they would prefer a wife or husband. Accordingly, children of enlightened parents were given unisex names which could be gendered once read if the child preferred. The King had ruled that Maesters were not allowed to charge for a reading so every child in the Kingdom had access to it. A reading was considered sacrosanct so unscrupulous parents who didn’t wish to risk a child changing from their preferred gender didn’t have the child read and there was nothing yet in place to force them to have it performed. 

Couples who didn’t match up physically for the procreation of children or were having difficulties could appeal to the Maesters for their assistance. This was a skill they’d had for generations but it was only recently it was offered openly. As this wasn’t considered essential the Maesters could charge for providing this service. Only the nobility could afford to pay so it was still a rarity for a child to be born this way. 

Maesters regularly travelled to other Kingdoms to teach their peers about the techniques necessary to read children and help those who needed it to have children of their own. How well this was received varied depending on the beliefs of the Kingdom and the closest Trecrath had come to war in recent years was when a number of Maesters were chased out of a country by their army with a threat to kill any Maester who tried to return. 

Unfortunately, an area where the Kingdom was not so enlightened was in their dealings with daughters and wives. Marriages were engineered for political reasons between the Houses where possible or wives were bought to fulfil a need and daughters could fetch a hefty amount especially if they had no brothers. The idea that women were equal with men and deserved as much choice in their future had so far failed to take root in Trecrath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a lot of world building in this first chapter. Next time we learn about House Earp.


	2. House Earp

House Earp had been part of the Nobility for many generations. They were one of the major Houses based in the North of the Kingdom. Their lands encompassed most of the extreme North where wolves and bears roamed freely and their prosperity was based on trading furs and woollen cloth with their more southerly neighbours.

The first Lord Earp had been a well-respected soldier who had risen through the ranks to General and was instrumental in quelling a rebellion amongst a few hard-headed young Nobles who had been able to gather some local support. The rebellion was put down with very little bloodshed on either side. General Wyatt Earp was rewarded as Lord Earp and was granted lands that had remained vacant for some time. The newly minted Lord Earp relished the challenge and turned barren wastelands into a thriving community and he gained a reputation as a fair and just Lord, who had and kept the ear of the King. 

Unfortunately, subsequent generations did not live up to the reputation of their illustrious ancestor. They grew too used to privilege and resented the fact that improving their lands involved a battle with the elements every time. One Lord in particular voiced his disdain for the Earp’s position in the country and expressed his opinion that his House should be granted lands in a more suitable part of the Kingdom especially given their close friendship with the King. The King heard of his complaints and those of the common people who were disappointed with his lazy and greedy governance and the previously close relationship between the ruling House and the Earps suffered greatly. Any chance of preferential treatment was over. It was almost unheard of to strip a House of its title and lands but it took a lot of persuasion from his advisors to stop it happening on this occasion. Generations since had not managed to repair the void and while House Earp had the reputation of an old established House it was known they held no real power within the Kingdom. 

The latest Lord Earp was a resentful, greedy man. He kept harping back to the House’s previous status. His main aims in life were to protect the image of his House and live a comfortable life. Unseasonably warm winters in recent years had had an impact on the Earp’s ability to trade and led the Lord to become grasping and miserly. He had been blessed with three children and his wife had passed away shortly after the last child was born. Lord Earp would in no way be described as an enlightened man but to keep up appearances his children were named ambiguously, Will, Wy and Way. He had hopes all three would be named after previous Lords, William, Wyatt and Wayne. Only the eldest had been read while their mother was alive. Will became Willa and she would be looking for a husband. 

Robert “Bobo” Del Ray was a self-made man. He had more money than most of the Noble Lords but he was born a common man. The only thing he couldn’t buy was a title. His dealings had brought him to the attention of the King but not in a way which would lead to him being raised to the nobility. Bobo was known for being underhanded and devious. He realised there was no chance of him being a Lord but if he married the right woman, his descendants would be. 

When Bobo realised that Lord Earp had lost his wife and potentially had sired no sons, he was quick to strike a deal. He paid double the expected amount for the right to marry Willa when she came of age but a crucial part of the deal was that the money was to be repaid if Lord Earp ever had a son and heir. The greedy Lord accepted the terms. He made no plans to take another wife himself, something which was already frowned upon. Wy became Wynonna and Way became Waverly without the need of a reading. The deal and treatment of the younger children did nothing to improve either man’s reputation. 

Once Willa was of age, Bobo came North to claim her. Lord Earp granted the couple an estate on his Lands and both Wynonna and Waverly were disappointed that the traditional siblings marriage visit would take place there. They had hoped the one  
positive from the union for them would be a chance to visit the capital. Bobo used the visit to impose his wealth on his wife’s sisters and Willa used the opportunity to remind her siblings that their father would sell both to the highest bidder. It was clear the only contact going forward would be when the couple returned the visit to save face once the younger two were married. 

Bobo and Willa chose to settle in the capital and seemed to be in no rush to provide the needed son and heir. Instead they spent their time courting the nobility that chose to surround the King but while some Lords were prepared to do business with Bobo it was still clear he wasn’t considered one of them. His hope that his marriage might have improved his status was proven incorrect. 

Wynonna had always been a bit of a rebel. She tried to get what control she could of her own destiny. She would have threatened her father with taking herself to the Maesters to get herself read but even without its proof she was sure she was a woman which would defeat the object. She knew as soon as she came of age she would be sold off, most probably to an heir who was causing his father problems one way or another. Wynonna wasn’t prepared to risk the type of husband she might end up with. She allowed herself to be seduced by John Henry “Doc” Holliday. Once it was discovered she was pregnant they were forced to marry to protect the reputations of all involved. 

House Holliday was a recent addition to the nobility. As recently as two generations ago they were common men. They originally came from the plains of Trecrath and were known as the best horse breeders in the Kingdom. Their horses were fine, Noble creatures and even the King himself road a Holliday horse. After a particularly swift steed enabled the King’s own son to escape from a hunting incident and receive help from the Maesters in time to prevent serious repercussions, they were granted a title and a small amount of land in the North. The entire family moved to their new estate. Unfortunately, the new Lord thought it beneath his new position to continue his trade, that along with the fact that the highly bred horses they brought with them weren’t suited to the harsher environment of the North meant they weren’t able to consolidate on their good fortune. Luckily the skills that they were once prized for had been passed down and the current Lord Holliday had managed to apply them to the sturdy Northern horses. He sent his younger sons out to his Noble neighbours to help them to improve their stock and hopefully improve the House’s standing with their peers. 

Doc was the youngest son of Lord Holliday and his eldest brother was the heir. He had been working with Lord Earp’s groom for several months and had been much taken by Wynonna. When she started to seek him out and even flirt with him, Doc was amazed, he had never encountered a Noble woman who was so forward. He started to treat her more liberally and she allowed it. He knew he couldn’t afford the price Lord Earp wanted for his daughter but he seduced her anyway. When it became apparent that she was pregnant, he agreed to marry her without much protest. He realised later he had been played for a fool and that caused tension in his marriage. 

Wynonna knew that Doc wasn’t the best choice for a husband. On top of his rakish behaviour he drank and had no money but he was her choice and he genuinely seemed to love little Al and care for her. Lord Earp set the couple up in a small estate in the furthest reaches of his lands. The loss of his expected pay out from his middle daughter’s marriage soured his temper further and Wynonna’s one regret was leaving her youngest sibling in their father’s care. Doc was determined to build a future for his family and had started to create a small horse breeding enterprise using what resources were available to him. 

Waverly was a few years younger than her sisters. As she approached marrying age Lord Earp effectively touted her out to other Noble families. She was a sweet and pretty girl and in spite of losing her mother at a young age and having to deal with her father she retained a sunny disposition. She would make a good wife and the history behind their name still counted for something. He was hopeful of making a sizeable sum. 

The youngest Earp dreaded the thought of marriage. Her upbringing had been sheltered, especially so after Wynonna’s little escapade but she had heard the stories of the type of young men who had wives bought for them by their fathers. Lords who were desperate to have at least the veneer of respectability for sons who had lost the right to make the choice for themselves. Some had run up debts, or drank and caroused with their peers, or spent all their time in the company of the local whores. 

Waverly expected the worst when her father announced that he had been paid handsomely for her to be introduced to the heir of House Haught. She knew little of the House and less of the heir. She could only hope they were the exception to the rule and treated her kindly. As bad as her life was with her father, at least she knew him, the unknown factor worried her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time we learn about House Haught


	3. House Haught

House Haught was well established, though more recently than House Earp. They were based in a wooded area in the midlands of the Kingdom. An abundance of deer, wild boar and other game ensured ample hunting to both feed the population and trade with other Houses. While their Lands were small compared to many other Houses, careful management meant their return per acre was better than most. 

The first Lord Haught had started life as a scribe for a prominent House of the times. He had an incredible grasp of the laws of the Kingdom and was able to quote directly from decrees without referring to the document. When tested he was always found to be accurate. This ability proved helpful when preparing documents for the King’s court and Richard Haught got through his work much faster than his peers. The House steward eventually gave him all the most complex and important documents to complete. His talent was brought to the attention of his Lord when the House court was in session. A point of law was raised to which no one present knew the answer and a copy of the relevant decree was not kept in house. The Lord was about to refer the case to the King’s court when his steward suggested asking Richard if he knew the answer. He was brought to the court and was able to solve the problem with his knowledge. From then on, the Lord always had him present at court and far fewer cases were referred to the higher court on points of law. 

The lack of cases being referred was investigated by one of the King’s advisors to ensure the Lord wasn’t refusing access to the higher court. When it was discovered it was one man behind the increased closure rate of cases, the advisors suggested at least one man, well versed in the Kingdom’s laws worked at each court, more so at the King’s court. This started a whole new profession of court clerks which revolutionised the efficiency of the governance of the Kingdom. The advisors encouraged the King to reward the man who had unintentionally brought about the change, arguing that he would make a good example of what could happen to the common man if he sought to improve himself. 

The now Lord Haught was granted a small estate in an area already populated with several major Noble Houses. He was a sensible man and realised his nobility was a largely political move by the King and gave him no real power. It did give him a future for his family though. He had already ensured his sons were well versed in the law, originally to give them a better chance of getting good, safe work with their Lord. Now he made sure that complaints heard at his House court upheld the standard set by his former Lord. His children were just coming of age and he worked hard to arrange suitable marriages with other minor Noble Houses where he could. 

Subsequent generations continued the careful and cautious growth of the House. They forged links with as many other Houses as possible and made sure their reputation as men with a strong understanding of the law remained intact. Respect for the House steadily increased with each generation and the House’s aim became to be accepted as one of the King’s advisors. It hadn’t happened yet but they were prepared to play the long game. Each heir was taught that the future of the House was more important than his current position. The Lord was the protector of the House’s potential. 

The current Lord Haught expected to continue the same trend. He married well but the couple only had one child, Nic. By the time Nic was old enough to be read, the Maesters had already confirmed that Lady Haught was unlikely to have any further children. Lord Haught desperately needed Nic to be a boy so he would have a son and heir. If he went by biology only, he had his son. He could just change Nic to Nicholas and bring them up as a boy and no one would really question him (at the detriment of his reputation) but his own sibling had proved how important it was to raise children based on their true nature so Nic was sent to be read. 

Nic turned out to be Nicole and not only that, she would be looking for a wife. This was an awkward combination for Lord Haught to deal with but he loved his daughter and he was prepared to do whatever was necessary to secure both the future of his House and her happiness. Nicole was raised as the girl she was but was provided with the education usually given to the House heir. She may never be allowed to rule the House in her own right but she would rule on behalf of her son and would need to pass on the House principals to him. She just needed to provide Lord Haught with a grandson before he died. 

By the time she came of age Nicole knew if she had a less complicated sibling, she would never have been considered guardian of her House’s future but as she was all her father had to work with, she tried to make him proud. She was grateful for her education and had shocked her tutors by boldly stating she felt all girls deserved the same teachings as boys. She was encouraged to keep her radical views to herself. Lord Haught gave her three years to find a suitable wife. Nicole had tried but hadn’t managed to meet a girl she could picture spending the rest of her life with, she hadn’t even managed to find someone who would be considered a good political match. Girls who might be considered candidates seemed to be too vapid for someone who prized their education and wanted a wife who could be a partner in all things. She knew she was running out of time but if she was going to be forced to get married her father may as well find someone for her. 

Lord Haught did eventually lose patience with his daughter. He needed to ensure there was an heir in place for his House. He tasked his most trusted advisor to make discrete inquiries if any of the Noble Houses were looking to find a wife for their daughter. He knew he would probably have to pay for the girl but needs must. 

All reports on Waverly Earp herself were positive and on the face of it, the marriage was a good one for House Haught. Linking themselves to one of the oldest Houses would be seen as something of a coup. In reality these days House Haught was at least the equal of House Earp, it certainly had the better reputation and Lord Haught was grateful that their advisors had been able to sort out the finer details of the introduction without him having to negotiate with Lord Earp personally. The only problem was the girl had never been read and according to his sources, had never shown any interest in taking a wife. Lord Earp’s greed would cause him to disregard that but Lord Haught was more cautious. 

Her father cared too much for Nicole to force her to marry the first girl he found regardless of her opinion, so he had initially only paid for her to be introduced to Lord Earp’s youngest daughter. If both girls agreed he would finalise the purchase of his daughter’s wife. It was arranged that Waverly would pay a visit to House Haught’s estate and if everything went well the move would be permanent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time our girls actually meet. 
> 
> I will add any relevant tags as I go but if anyone thinks a critical one is missing please let me know.


	4. Introduction

Lord Earp and his daughter left for the Haught estate with a small party of servants. It would take them several days ride to get there. They would need to stop at inns along the road overnight. They weren’t concerned with their safety on the journey, with no wars to fight, one of the main ways the army was kept employed was to ensure the King’s highways were safe for all to travel. 

Waverly had never left the Earp Lands and had seen relatively little of those. As she rode through familiar territory, she realised it might be the last time she saw those places. If everything went according to her father’s plan, she would be married to the Haught heir and would likely never return. She knew that was the way for all women in this Kingdom to move from their father’s protection to their spouses but not knowing what awaited her was terrifying. 

There had been very little time between finding out her father had found someone for her to marry and them leaving but she had taken the opportunity to read all the information available in the library on House Haught. All that did was show her that generally they were known for fair dealings but this heir’s behaviour could be the reason they were being found a suitable wife. Waverly also spoke to that one servant seemingly found in each House who knew all the gossip about the other Houses but she hadn’t heard anything about the Haught heir. Waverly wasn’t sure if that was reassuring or not. 

On the final evening they stopped at an inn only a short ride away from the Haught estate. Lord Earp knew his daughter needed to make a good first impression so he wanted her well rested, not tired from a long ride. He had bought her a new dress for the occasion and after a good meal, Waverly was sent to bed, with instructions to try to make the best of her appearance in the morning. Dejected his daughter did his bidding. 

********

Once Nicole was informed her father had arranged an introduction to Lord Earp’s youngest daughter, she found out as much as she could about the girl. Her education had included information on all the major Houses so she knew something of the Earp’s history and their fall from their previously preferential position. She was able to discover the eldest daughter had been married off to a man with money but no breeding or class and a hastily covered up scandal which ended with the middle daughter marrying the then Lord Holliday’s youngest son, the current Lord was his brother and that they had one child already with another on the way. The only thing known about Waverly Earp was that her father had failed to have her read which concerned Nicole. 

Nicole spoke to her father on the evening before the Earp’s were expected to arrive. He reiterated that she could refuse the match if she felt there was good reason but that she must marry soon so not to reject the girl out of hand. The heir promised to try to make an informed decision and not be rash. 

***********

Waverly was nervous as they rode into the grounds of the Haught estate. With her father’s words about making a good first impression ringing in her ears, she gracefully dismounted from her horse and followed Lord Earp into the great hall. 

Lord Haught crossed the floor to great his guests, with his wife on one side and his daughter on the other. 

“Lord Earp, welcome to my House.”

“Greetings Lord Haught. May I present my youngest daughter Waverly.”

“This is my wife, Lady Haught and our daughter and heir Nicole.”

Waverly couldn’t stop the audible gasp that fell from her lips or the way she stared with astonishment at the girl in front of her. She looked to her father and wondered why he hadn’t told her he had arranged a wife for her, not a husband. At least then she would have had time to prepare herself. She recovered herself quickly and stepped forward holding her hand out to Nicole. The redhead took Waverly’s hand and raised it to her lips. 

“A pleasure to meet you Waverly. I look forward to getting to know you.”

“Thank you. It’s nice to meet you too.” Waverly managed to stammer out. 

“Well, well I’m sure you’d like to see your rooms and rest after your journey. We’ll see you at dinner. “Lord Haught instructed his servants to show his guests the way and everyone retired. 

Waverly was in a panic. She knew her shock at realising the truth behind her impending marriage had shown openly and she hoped she hadn’t already put off the heir. She had borne the brunt of her father’s anger after Wynonna got herself pregnant and that had nothing to do with her. She couldn’t imagine how much worse it would be if she caused the anger. Waverly liked to be properly prepared for things. She didn’t work well improvising. She could only assume her father didn’t tell her, to stop her finding a way to stop the introduction going ahead, once she had arrived here there was nothing she could do. Well she now had a small amount of time to prepare before she met Nicole again. She was determined to make a better second impression than first. Her future depended on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time our ladies get to have an actual conversation.


	5. First Real Meeting

By the time she was ready to go down to dinner, Waverly was sure she was at least projecting the image of someone who had everything under control, regardless of how she actually felt. There would be more time later to continue to process what was happening to her. So, with what she hoped was a beguiling smile on her face, she took her place at the table next to Nicole. 

Conversation at dinner was dominated by the two Lords. The young women were expected to be seen and not heard in these situations but it did give them the opportunity to observe each other. Perfect table manners were to be expected of course but there were some subtle differences between how they approached the meal. Nicole ate heartily which was unusual for a young Noblewoman as they were encouraged to maintain a slight figure. Waverly ate cautiously, both because she didn’t want to look like a glutton and as she didn’t recognise a lot of the dishes. Nicole took the opportunity to carefully explain what was in each dish to her dining companion and Waverly found she could tell which were the heir’s favourites by how enthusiastically she urged her to try them. It was clear that one dish Nicole clearly disliked as she spent more time chasing it around her plate than eating it. 

Waverly hoped there would be a chance to really talk to Nicole after dinner but Lord Haught had arranged for a musician to play for them. She wasn’t sure if this was a ploy to keep them from ever speaking to each other or if the Lord was just trying to impress his guests. After her initial frustration Waverly enjoyed the performance, neither she nor her sisters were musically inclined and her father would never pay for someone to play for them. It wouldn’t have occurred to him even if they had important guests. 

The next morning it was the rain which woke Waverly. It’s not something she’s used to, it rarely rained and mainly snowed in the North. She was served breakfast in her room and wondered what the plan was for today. As she made her way downstairs she saw Nicole waiting for her. 

“I was hoping that we could go for a walk or ride together today but the weather has put a stop to that idea. Would you accompany me to the library, so we can start to get to know each other please?”

“Of course, it will be nice to spend some time with you.”

“We won’t be disturbed; my father is entertaining Lord Earp today. Please follow me.”

Nicole showed Waverly into a library full of books, many times larger than Lord Earp’s and she took in the sight greedily as they sat down, which didn’t go unnoticed by her companion.   
“Feel free to read anything you like while you are here. Do you enjoy reading?”

“Oh yes, I’ve always enjoyed reading.” Waverly admitted cautiously. 

“I do as well particularly around the history of the Kingdom.” Nicole paused. “Before we get into a discussion on our favourite books, can I ask you a few questions please?” Waverly was visibly nervous but didn’t feel like she could refuse. 

“Yes, you can ask whatever you want.”

“Sorry for being blunt but you weren’t read as a child, were you?”

“No, after the deal was made for my oldest sister’s hand, my father couldn’t risk having a son. The best way to ensure that was for my sister and I not to be read.”

“How do you feel about that?”

“I’ll never have the certainty most people have. I couldn’t have it done now even if I was able to. The life experiences of someone my age would interfere with the results.”

“Your father didn’t tell you he’d arranged for an introduction to another woman did he and you didn’t ask him to find you a wife not a husband did you? Don’t try to deny it Waverly it was written all over your face yesterday.”

“You’re right but that doesn’t mean it was an unpleasant surprise.”

“You don’t have to lie to me. If we do end up married at the end of this I want us to be honest with each other. Why don’t you tell your father that you want a husband?”

“My father doesn’t care what I want he cares how much money he can get for me. If I try to call this off he’ll be so angry I don’t know what he’d do.” Waverly burst out. 

“He’s been paid well for our introduction. He could get money for an introduction again as well as for a marriage. We both deserve to be married to people we actually want to.”

“Honestly the fact that you seem to care about me wanting to marry you, puts you far ahead of my expectations for my spouse.” 

Nicole just looked shocked and changed the subject. They spent the rest of the morning on lighter topics, getting to know each other’s favourite books and food amongst other things. 

After lunch Nicole requested to talk to her father and they met in his study.   
“Father I’m concerned about Waverly. She doesn’t want this marriage, but she’s clearly scared of her father and won’t say anything to him.”

“Do you want me to let Lord Earp know you aren’t interested in her instead.”

“If we do that I’m worried what will happen to her. This isn’t her fault.”

“What are you suggesting then?”

“Could Waverly stay here for a while? I know Lord Earp wanted this transaction completed quickly but we can tell him I’d like to properly get to know my future wife. She might relax a bit without him here and with some distance it might be easier to let him know the marriage isn’t going to happen.”

“You’re playing with fire my girl but if you think that’s best, I’ll allow it. Now go I need to speak to Lord Earp, no point in putting it off. Frankly I’d rather have that odious man out from under my roof as soon as possible.”

Nicole made a hasty exit as a servant brought Lord Earp to her father’s study but stayed close by to see the fallout from the discussion. 

“Lord Earp, please sit down.”

“So, is it all agreed? If you give me the money owed, I’ll set off back tonight. There’s no point hanging around. You can arrange the wedding in your own time.”

“I’m afraid not. My daughter would like to take the time to get to know her future wife before agreeing to marry her.”

“What is that going to achieve? I can’t be hanging around here forever.”

“We’d be happy to allow Waverly to stay here while you return to your estate.”

“Very well but you’d better send the money once it’s all agreed. If it doesn’t go ahead I expect my daughter to be returned in the same state she was in when she arrived. I don’t want your heir sampling the goods before paying then sending her back used.”

“Lord Earp how dare you insult my daughter in my House.” Lord Haught raged. “I think it would be best if you left immediately, with or without your daughter. Get out of my House!”

Lord Earp rushed out of the study crying for his servants to get ready for an immediate departure. As he walked out of the door he threw back a parting retort. “You can keep her but you’re paying for her!”

Meanwhile Waverly was in the library looking at the range of books available and wondered what the fallout of her honesty with Nicole would be. She would likely soon find herself in a worse position, still up for sale but with an enraged father, who would be convinced it was all her fault. At least Nicole had turned out to be a decent person and goodness knew what the next one would be like. She was lost in her thoughts when she heard raised voices in the hall. She made it to the area just in time to see her father leave and hear his last remark. What on earth had happened and what was going to happen to her now, she feared the worst.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next what happens with Waverly left at House Haught


	6. Spending Time Together

Waverly stared at the door her father had just stormed through until Lord Haught spotted her.   
“I’m afraid I had to ask Lord Earp to leave my House, he insulted my daughter and I could not let that stand. Before the incident we had discussed you spending more time here to get to know Nicole better and I would like to extend that invitation to you now. No one here will force you to do anything against your will and if you wish to return home at any time I will ensure you get there safely. You can best judge your reception by your father but if you take my advice you will at least give him some time to get over this incident first.”

Waverly didn’t know what to think. If she went home to her father now he would be furious and her prospects looked bleak. If she stayed would Lord Haught try to persuade her to marry his daughter even though Nicole had figured out that she wasn’t what she had expected from this introduction. Procrastination won out and Waverly decided that staying gave her time to think and come up with a plan of how to deal with her father.   
“Thank you Lord Haught, I’d be honoured to stay for a short while.”

“I’m glad you decided to stay.” Nicole spoke up from the shadows. “It will be nice to have someone my own age to talk to for a change.”

The Haught estate was very different from the one Waverly grew up in. It appeared to be meticulously run and everything happened seamlessly, particularly in the home. It had initially appeared to her that as a guest she was shielded from any issues but the calm and efficiency carried on long after everyone was used to her presence. In Lord Earp’s home, if he was unhappy with something, everyone knew about it. Lord Haught obviously had a different way of dealing with things. The only person Waverly ever heard him raise his voice to was her father. 

The setting of the Haught estate in the middle of beautiful woodland gave plenty of opportunity to Waverly for exploration and her guide was always Nicole. When the weather permitted they spent long hours of the day walking together through the winding forest pathways. Waverly asked question after question about the land, the trees and the animals they encountered. Nicole answered each one happily and if she didn’t immediately know the answer, she always made the effort to find it out before they next met. At first Waverly was hesitant about the amount of time they were spending together, afraid that she was an annoyance to Nicole or that she was taking her away from more important concerns but her companion reassured her that she was enjoying her company and that her time was her own to spend as she wished. 

Wet and windy days found them sitting side by side in front of the fire in the library. They would both pick one of the many books and read in silence for a while until one or the other found a passage they just had to share. They would discuss or debate whatever topic had been raised and found that they agreed on many pertinent ideas but had the most fun when they were trying to convince each other that their point was right on a minor issue. 

On days when they didn’t feel like walking they went riding instead. Waverly had been shocked the first time Nicole suggested it when she arrived at the stables wearing tight trousers. She’d stared so long her companion had started laughing. She couldn’t believe it was allowed, her father would have had a fit if she’d ever worn something like that. She had to admit it did seem to make riding easier and that they suited the redhead. Nicole offered to have a pair made for her but Waverly refused, too embarrassed to wear them herself. 

Waverly was surprised how much freedom they were given. There was always a groom with them when they went riding and a man at arms followed them when they were walking but all they did was keep the girls in sight. Nicole was always armed with a sword and had reassured her she could deal with any threat which had surprised her as well. The youngest Earp had never felt so carefree and she wondered how much longer it could go on for. 

**************

Nicole was conflicted. She hadn’t been lying when she said she enjoyed having a companion her own age and station but she knew it wouldn’t take much for her to fall for Waverly. She tried to make sure it didn’t affect how she behaved around her and hoped it wasn’t noticeable to the younger girl. It was abundantly clear Waverly was enjoying the respite away from her father and Nicole didn’t want to spoil that for her. She knew Waverly didn’t think about her that way, she continued to refer to the man she would eventually marry, and she tried to be okay with that. The irony of the fact that her father only really allowed her to stay because he thought they would get married wasn’t lost on Nicole. She could protect herself and her heart by either asking her father to send Waverly home or by distancing herself but she didn’t want to do either thing. It was only her own heart at risk and she wanted to keep making Waverly happy for as long as possible. 

Waverly always seemed so surprised and happy when Nicole did something just for her, so the redhead made it her mission to see that one shy smile she always received as much as possible. An idea occurred to her but she wasn’t sure if it was a step too far. She made up her mind to risk it and if Waverly showed any signs of being uncomfortable she wouldn’t try anything like that again. 

On the next fine day, Nicole spoke to her servants early in the morning and put in motion plans made days before. She invited Waverly out on a ride and instead of hacking through the fields and forest, she led her to a very deliberate destination. Coming out of the trees into a clearing with a shining pool of water fed by a small waterfall, Nicole heard Waverly gasp. On a blanket by the pool there was a picnic laid out and on closer inspection it contained all of Waverly’s favourite dishes. They sat down, close enough to run their hands through the water if they wanted. 

“This place is wonderful Nicole.”

“It’s my favourite place on our estate. I come here by myself to think, but I wanted to share it with you.”

“I’m glad you did, it seems so peaceful here. The whole estate is so calm compared to back home. You’re a good friend Nicole. I wish I could stay here forever but we both know that’s not possible. My father’s patience will run out eventually and then I’ll have to go back until he finds someone else for me to marry.”

“I don’t like the thought of you going back there only to be married off to goodness knows who. I wish there was another way.”

“So do I, but it’s my father’s choice who I marry. Anyway, let’s not spoil our day. I want to enjoy this while I can.”

Nicole changed the subject and they began discussing the properties of the waterfall but she wanted to tell Waverly there was another way. Her father wanted her to marry the Haught heir and she wanted to marry the youngest Earp but Waverly didn’t want her like that and a confession of her feelings would only result in the loss of their friendship and force her friend back to her father even earlier. There had to be another way and Nicole vowed to find it.


	7. Time’s Up

Nicole tried her best to think of a way to help her friend. The law stated that while she was unmarried Waverly was considered under the protection of either her father or the ruling Lord of her House and they could make whatever arrangements they felt necessary for a woman’s future, or in other words, women had no autonomy and their fathers could make decisions for them including who they should marry. Her own position was better than Waverly’s but she was still being forced to marry to protect the future of her House. 

Lord Earp seemed not to care exactly who Waverly married as long as they were prepared to pay his price. The best result would be to find a man Waverly wanted to marry who could afford her but there was no practical way to find someone. Given Waverly was there as her potential spouse her father wouldn’t be able to assist even if he wanted to. It was an unwritten rule not to interfere in another Lord’s House. There seemed not to be a workable solution to the problem. 

**********

Waverly had been at House Haught for three months when Lord Haught requested to speak to his daughter in his study.   
“Nicole I’m sorry but the time has come for me to try again to find you a wife. I can’t do that while your previous prospective spouse is in residence. I’m afraid it is time to send Waverly home.”

“I wish there was another option, but I understand. May I be the one to tell her please father?”   
She knew that arguing with her father at this stage was pointless. 

“Yes. I think it will be easier on the poor girl if you let her know. Once she is aware I will contact her father and arrange for her travel.”

“I’m worried about what is going to happen to her.”

“Lord Earp is within his rights to arrange her marriage as he sees fit. We must hope it all turns out for the best. Let me know once you have spoken. Remember you may remain in contact with her if you wish. I will allow you to send messages to her. I know her friendship has become important to you.”

 

Waverly was curled up in her favourite chair in front of the fire when Nicole found her. There was an obvious solution to their mutual problem, but she wasn’t sure she dared even mention it. She decided she had nothing left to lose and sat down opposite her friend. 

“Waverly, I’ve just spoken to my father and he has decided it’s time for me to find a wife. It means you will need to return home.”

“Oh, well, we knew it was coming. I’d better go get ready.” Waverly started to stand, she looked utterly dejected. 

“Please wait. My father isn’t insisting you leave this moment. He needs to contact your father first.” At the mention of her father a worried look crossed Waverly’s face as she sat back down, so Nicole continued. “Besides there is something important I’d like to discuss with you.”

“Of course. What would you like to talk about?”

“There is a way for you to stay here. You don’t need to go back home to be married off to someone you’ve never met. You came here as my possible future wife, so why don’t we get married.”

“Nicole…”

“Nothing has to change between us. We can carry on as we have been. We would just be married. I don’t want my father to find me another stranger to marry and I don’t want to think about the type of man your husband could be.”

“We can’t just get married.”

“Why not? It’s what you came here to do.”

“But if we get married you’ll never have a real wife and I’ll never have a real husband. We’re not exactly compatible. We don’t think of each other in that way.”

“We get along and I think we could have a good life together.” Nicole carefully avoided responding to Waverly’s last comment. 

“Neither of us would ever have a full married life.” Waverly blushed scarlet. 

“That doesn’t matter to me. You don’t miss what you’ve never had. I’m not trying to persuade you, if it’s not what you want. You can go back home, and I hope you have a wonderful life with your husband.”

“I don’t know what to say Nicole.”

“You don’t have to say anything. I’ll go speak to my father and he’ll get everything organised for you to go home.” Nicole knew it was a bad idea to mention them getting married, but Waverly’s rejection hurt more than she expected. 

“Could you give me the rest of the afternoon to think about this please? I wasn’t exactly expecting this conversation to happen.”

“I haven’t discussed this with my father, but he’ll be expecting me to go back to him this evening. I’ll come back before dinner and you can let me know what to tell him. I’ll leave you now.”

Waverly stared into the flames of the fire as she tried to process her discussion with Nicole. What was she going to do.


	8. Decision Time

Waverly didn’t know what to do. There were two clear options for her to choose from; get married to Nicole and live as friends or return home and marry whoever her father chose next. There wasn’t even any guarantee that her father would choose a husband for her. It might be another woman. She wished the option of not getting married existed but for a woman in her position she just didn’t have that choice. 

If Nicole had been a man, Waverly would have accepted her proposal without question. The redhead far exceeded her expectations for her husband. If she married Nicole she would live her life alongside someone she considered a friend, someone whose company she enjoyed but she’d lose the chance at a normal marriage. Maybe it was the romantic in her but she’d always hoped she would grow to love her husband. 

Waverly’s initial fears about Nicole had been unfounded. The only reason Lord Haught was trying to buy her a wife was because she was taking too long to find one for herself in his opinion. She was unlikely to be as lucky again. In fact, her father may deliberately try to sell her to someone undesirable as punishment for not going through with this marriage. Lord Ward Earp could be a spiteful man when angered. 

Waverly could gamble with her future and hope for a husband as kind and generous as her friend or take the safe bet and be married in name only. She was sensible by nature. She wasn’t a rebel like Wynonna. If she married Nicole there would be no doubt about her future happiness. She knew they would get along fine. 

So, from Waverly’s prospective it made sense for them to get married. What she couldn’t understand was why Nicole had offered. She was in a position to find herself a proper wife or to accept whatever wife her father found. She didn’t want Nicole to go through with the marriage because she pitied her. 

***********

Waverly was still sat in front of the fire when Nicole returned late that afternoon to join her friend 

“Have you had enough time to think? What do you wish for me to tell my father?”

“Before I give you my answer, may I ask you a question please?”

“Of course, you can ask me anything you want.”

“Why did you suggest we get married? I can understand why you think it makes sense for me to marry you but we’re not in the same position. You still have other options. You don’t have to throw away your future out of pity. I will be okay.”

“Firstly, marrying you is not throwing away my future. As to why I offered, I’d like to marry someone I know I would enjoy spending time with. That’s no guarantee with whoever my father found next. You think it would be easy to find a woman I want to marry. I looked for three years before my father lost patience and didn’t find anyone. Woman marrying women is accepted and respected but it isn’t encouraged. In the Noble Houses a daughter is usually quietly found a wife and then established in a small estate out of the way. Lords don’t want to have children like me and they don’t want them marrying a prominent member of a House. So, if we don’t get married my father will arrange another introduction and it may well be a woman in similar circumstances to you and I don’t want to put someone else through that.” Nicole failed to mention the fact that she had more than friendly feelings for Waverly. 

“Alright let's get married.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, if we have to get married I’d like to be married to you.”

“Right I will tell my father after dinner.”

For the first time in months, dinner was slightly awkward. As both Nicole and Waverly were aware of what they’d agreed but Lord and Lady Haught were not, it made the couple hesitant around each other. Lord Haught noticed but attributed it to the fact Waverly was aware she was being sent home and asked Nicole to join him in his study after the meal to get resolved as soon as possible. The conversation didn’t go exactly how he expected. 

“I take it you have informed Waverly it is time for her to return home.”

“Actually father, I asked Waverly to marry me and she agreed. So, I’d like you to send Lord Earp his money.”

“What are talking about Nicole. You made it clear shortly after she arrived that you had no intention of marrying her.”

“Things have changed. We now wish to marry.”

“You cannot change your mind. Once Waverly is paid for the marriage will have to go ahead.”

“We understand that, we are ready to marry whenever it is convenient.”

“Very well I’ll make the arrangements for the payment and we’d better talk to your mother about the wedding. If I make arrangements for that without her input we’ll both be on her bad side.”


	9. The Wedding

There wasn’t much emphasis on weddings in Trecrath, the focus was more on the fact that a marriage had taken place. The wedding itself was low-key, simple vows were recited by the couple in front of both fathers (or a representative of each as stand in) and that was it. Other close relatives of the couple would make a marriage visit in the months following a marriage. For those couples who were part of a Noble House, a feast in honour of the marriage was usually held as a celebration of the prosperity of the House. The local people were invited to share in the bounty of the House. The wedding feast was one of the few things where the Lady of the House had more control than the Lord. 

Nicole and Waverly’s marriage followed tradition. It took place a few weeks after it was decided upon. The only people present apart from the couple were Nicole’s parents and Lord Earp’s advisor who was there to fulfil the requirements and to take back the money. Waverly’s father didn’t deem her marriage important enough to make the journey and frankly everyone involved was glad he stayed away. Visits from both of Waverly’s sisters as well as Lord Haught’s sibling were planned and on the day after the wedding, the feast took place. 

Lady Haught was well suited to the House she had married into. Her match with Lord Haught had been a political one but she had found her husband to be a pleasant, well-educated man. They had immense respect for each other and had grown to care deeply about the other’s happiness. The fact that the marriage had only produced one child and that had not been the son and heir needed would have caused many men in the kingdom to resent their wife but Lord Haught was not such a man. Even when the Maesters had been unable to assist them with conceiving another child their marriage remained a strong one. They were both proud of their daughter and hoped for her future happiness. 

Lady Haught knew the wedding feast needed to be a true reflection of House Haught and it’s standing and position. As many of the local people as would fit in the great hall were invited. The most prominent guests were sat up near the high table with others sat further back. Hunts had been arranged to supply the feast and haunches of version and wild boar were on every table. The unused cheaper cuts of meat along with the skins were given to the poor. Nothing was wasted and everyone benefited. Nicole was their only child and this wedding feast was their only opportunity to make an impression in this way. 

Nicole was dressed in the House colours of a dark rich purple, the same shade as the lavender which grew in the local moorland. Her wife was dressed in forest green and they together made a striking couple. They sat in the middle of the high table, flanked either side by Lord and Lady Haught who were carefully dressed to match the new couple but in a more muted fashion. Local artisans presented them with small examples of their craft as gifts, hoping to attract the patronage of the next generation of the House. Talented local musicians provided entertainment for the evening. 

The feast was considered a success by all involved. It had highlighted the prestige of the House without being too over the top. It seemed to have left the locals with a positive first impression of the new couple which was one of the main intentions. Lord Haught was careful to praise and compliment Lady Haught’s planning and management of the event. 

Once their decision to marry had been announced the couple had actually spent very little time together. Nicole was needed by her father for various things and her mother spent time with her going over the details of the feast. Lady Haught also spent a significant amount of time with Waverly both preparing her for the feast and telling her little insignificant things about House Haught she wished she had known before she got married. Nicole was also required to participate in the hunts necessary to provide for the feast. All in all, they went from spending several hours a day together to only really seeing each other at meals. 

Lord Haught had decided not to set the young couple up in their own estate. He wanted Nicole close at hand so he could continue to teach her about the running of the House. Instead they were installed in their own wing in the house. While it allowed them to make use of the entire house, they had their privacy and the wing could function entirely alone. It allowed them to entertain guests separately and to spend time together away from the older couple. Lord and Lady Haught had actually spent the first few years of their own marriage in the same wing. The marital suite consisted of two bedrooms with interconnected doors, the standard setup for the nobility in their own homes. It was also common for one room to connect to the nursery on the other side. 

The couple tried to get into a new routine. They ate dinner twice a week with Nicole’s parents, spending other meal times alone. They still tried to spend some time each day walking or riding together but her marriage seemed to have triggered Lord Haught needing Nicole with him more frequently. This meant Waverly was alone in the library a lot of the time. She was struggling to adapt to being married. She had been brought up to expect that marriage would bring about a big change in her life but her introduction to married life had been almost benign. Waverly no longer worried about her future but she still felt like a guest in the house. She had no occupation to focus her energy on. Lady Haught still ran the home and there was nothing for her to do. 

Waverly enjoyed the time she got to spend with Nicole. Her wife was attentive and really listened to her when they were discussing something no matter how trivial but she was feeling increasingly isolated. It was as if she had fulfilled her purpose for the moment by being married and there was nothing left for her to do. She wondered if other people in her position who had recently married felt the same but she wasn’t able to bring herself to talk to Nicole about it. Nicole herself had noticed something wasn’t quite right with her wife but she thought Waverly might be already regretting their marriage. The family marriage visits were due to start soon and both women hoped they’d provide a welcome distraction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next Wynonna and family visit. 
> 
> Fun fact I work for a paint company and looked up the names of the colours I was thinking of for their wedding outfits. They are purple polka and enchanted Eden. 
> 
> I am also annoyed that there are no gender neutral terms for aunt/uncle and niece/nephew. It makes any description really long winded.


	10. Wynonna’s Visit

Waverly was really looking forward to Wynonna’s visit. She was her favourite sister and she had only seen her twice since her marriage to Doc, once for her own marriage visit and then soon after she’d given birth to Al. After the scandal caused by her pregnancy she’d been considered a bad example to her younger sister and their father had purposefully kept them apart. Waverly didn’t approve of the method her sister had used to take control over her life but did respect the fact she’d managed it. When she thought about it she’d used almost the exact opposite method to Wynonna with her own marriage. She wondered how her wife and sister would get on as they were very different people. If they clashed she probably wouldn’t see much of Wynonna in the future. 

Wynonna was heavily pregnant when she arrived with Doc and Al. Her visit had been arranged first so she had a chance to make it before her second child was born. She was never one for the formalities of life and pulled her younger sister into a hug as soon as she saw her when she was led into the small hall in their wing of House Haught.  
“I’ve missed you.”

“It’s good to see you too Wynonna. May I introduce you to my wife Nicole. Nicole this is my sister Wynonna.” Recovering her manners Wynonna stood back and nodded to her new sister-in-law. 

“Pleased to meet you. This is my husband John Henry, but everyone calls him Doc and the little one squirming in his arms is Al.” Doc passed Al to his wife and stepped forward to kiss both ladies’ hands. 

“Charmed to meet you Nicole and to see you again Waverly.”

“Now we’ve got that out of the way which of you wants first hold of Al. They’ve been excited all the way here and are really looking forward to properly meeting their aunties. Do you want to go say hello little one?” Wynonna put their child down and the inquisitive youngster toddled over to the couple. Waverly scooped them up. 

“Hello, I’m your auntie Waverly. The last time I saw you, you were only a baby. Look how big you’ve grown. This is auntie Nicole. Can you say hello sweetie?”

“Hello anny wavey, hello anny nicky.”

“Talking isn’t their strong point yet but we’re working on it. They won’t stay still for five minutes though. Neither will this one, I’m being kicked constantly.”

“It won’t be too much longer until they are here with us.”

“I know but I have to go through so much pain to get them here.”

“It’ll all be worth it in the end.”

Waverly and Nicole looked at each other, it was clearly not the first time the other couple had gone through this conversation. They decided to stay out of it and Nicole gamely changed the subject back to their child. It was clear Nicole hadn’t interacted much with children by the tentative way she handled the youngster when her wife passed them over. 

For the next few hours the two couples fussed over the child and made small talk until Al’s nursemaid came to take the child off for their evening meal and bed. The adults parted company to rest and relax before their own dinner.

Conversation at dinner was somewhat stilted and without the child as a distraction they were struggling to find suitable topics of conversation. Waverly remembered back to her first visit to Wynonna and Doc and feeling like she was intruding on the newly married couple. Her sister had barely left home at that point and she’d already known Doc a little as well but it had still been difficult. Back then Wynonna had been the one to break the tension but her sister was very quiet this evening. She appeared tired and she also wondered if Doc had spoken to her about the impression she was making. Waverly decided it was her place to make everyone more comfortable and manoeuvred the conversation onto horses. They all loved to ride and they started to reminisce about favourite horses from their youth. The conversation flowed smoothly after that and Waverly relaxed. She realised that the first dinner she had hosted as a wife had proved to be a success even if it was just with her sister and her husband. At the end of the evening Nicole offered to show Doc around the estate on the following day to give the two sisters a chance to catch up in private.

The sisters settled themselves in Waverly’s sitting room once Doc and Nicole had left for their tour. She usually preferred to sit in the library in the main part of the house when she was alone, but the greater privacy offered by her own room was beneficial in this case especially as Wynonna didn't waste any time in questioning her sister.  
“I have to admit this isn’t the type of marriage I ever expected you to have.”

“I didn’t imagine myself with a wife either.”

“So, you didn’t ask our father to find you one?”

“No, he didn’t even tell me. I found out when Lord Haught introduced us.”

“So, you were forced to go through with it?”

“No Nicole was prepared to tell her father I wasn’t a suitable wife for her.”

“What actually happened, you were here for months before your marriage was announced?”

“Our father got himself kicked out of the House and left me behind. Lord Haught allowed me to stay for a while. Nicole and I grew closer and we decided to get married.” Waverly skirted over the fact that theirs was a marriage of convenience.

“Well does she treat you right? She’s not making too many ‘demands’ on you, is she?” Waverly blushed scarlet as she answered.

“Nicole treats me better than I ever expected. She is respectful Wynonna.”

“Let me know if there is anything she needs to do differently, and I can talk to her woman to woman. I always expected to have to get Doc to threaten your husband, but I can threaten your wife myself.”

“You don’t exactly look like a threat right now.”

“No, it’s even better, I can go all mama bear and she can’t even retaliate in my condition.”

“Wynonna please don’t go threatening my wife. She doesn’t deserve it.” 

“If that is really the case, you’ve done well for yourself.”

“It’s true.”

“Good for you Waverly. I’m happy for you. Doc isn’t the best husband but he tries and he loves Al. He was my choice and I don’t regret it but I think you could have the best type of wife. The way she looks at you alone tells me she wants you to be happy.”

“What do you mean the way she looks at me?”

“Your wife looks at you like you’re the best thing that ever happened to her and you look at her the same way. I’m almost jealous.”

There was no way Waverly was prepared to answer that, so she suggested that Al be brought to them. Her sister continued regardless.   
“You hit the jackpot in the looks department as well. Your wife is a striking woman and your children will be beautiful.”

Waverly wasn’t sure why her sister’s words had such an odd effect on her, but they did. Her nibling toddled into the room and headed straight for her so she was forced to save her reflection for later.

Both couples were surprised a few days later when Lord Haught requested a formal introduction to Doc and Wynonna and invited them to dinner in the main house. It was entirely up to the Lord himself if he recognised them as his guests and they’d expected him not to take an interest. Nicole made the introductions. 

“Father this is Waverly’s sister Wynonna and her husband John Henry Holliday.”

“Pleased to meet you My Lord.”

“None of that Holliday. You don’t have to defer to me. You are the son of a Lord, as am I. That puts us on an equal standing as far as I’m concerned.”

As ever the conversation at dinner mostly took place between the two men although a little discussion was managed by the ladies. The reason for the introduction became clear as Lord Haught recounted his memory of his father buying a Holliday horse when he was very young. He remembered the animal as one of the finest hunters he had even seen.   
“I wish I owned as fine a beast as her. My father tried to breed from her, but they were never the same.”

“Well, there are two ways to get yourself a good horse. Either you go to the breeders and be very specific in what you are looking for. You’ll probably pay heavily but you’ll have a fine horse. If you want your House to be known for fine horses then you’ll need to buy a breeding pair and then breed from the horses which show the traits you favour. It’ll take a few years, but you will then have a strain of horse which is ideally suited for the Haught estate.”

“That sounds like a large undertaking but if done right could produce impressive results. How would you like to return here next year and help me get it started? I will of course recompense you for your skills and time.”

“Assuming everything is stable at home, I would love to help you with this venture.”

“I’ll leave it up to you whether you bring your family, but they would certainly be welcome.”

The rest of dinner passed uneventfully. Doc and Wynonna were careful not to do anything that would cause Lord Haught to remove his offer. It could be the start of a way to secure the future of their family. 

Wynonna and Doc stayed at House Haught for two weeks. Towards the end of their time there Wynonna arranged to speak to her sister privately again.   
“Something has been bothering me about you and Nicole. You don’t act like any newlywedded wife I’ve ever seen. There’s still an innocence about you and I think I finally figured it out. You’re not sleeping with your wife, are you?” The look on Waverly’s face confirmed it without her having to say anything. “What’s going on?”

“We both decided we’d rather be married to each other rather than whoever our fathers found next but you’re right it’s not a true marriage. Do you think it’s that noticeable to everyone?”

“No, I think it’s only because I know you so well I can see it. Are you really okay with this type of marriage? Is she?”

“We both just seem to be getting on with it. The only thing is, I expected life to be more different once I got married.”

“Honestly marriage isn’t what changes you. It’s what comes with it. Wait until you have children, then life gets different. Look at least you grabbed what control of your life you could. Maybe we’re not as different as people think. We just have a different way of approaching things. I did things out of order and you’ve ignored part of married life.”

“We both seem to have done alright.”

“I stand by what I said before I think you and Nicole could be happy.”

“I think so too.”

Wynonna pulled her sister into a hug. 

On their last day before returning to their own estate Wynonna decided she needed to have a heart to heart with her sister-in-law and she sought her out.   
“I promised Waverly I wouldn’t threaten you but really I don’t think I need to.”

“I don’t plan on hurting your sister if that’s what you’re referring to.”

“I know but do you ever plan to tell her you’re in love with her? Don’t try to deny it. You’re in love with your wife.” Nicole decided just to answer the question asked. 

“My feelings are my own problem. There is no need to burden Waverly with them. She doesn’t feel the same way and I knew that when we got married.”

“I wouldn’t bank on that always being the case. She cares deeply for you.”

“I apologise for being blunt but caring for someone and wanting to sleep with them are very different things. Waverly and I will make this work on our own terms. Please don’t talk to her about this.”

“I’m not trying to cause problems. I’d like you both to be happy. I actually like you Haught. Now if Waverly ever finds out we talked, tell her I threatened you. I don’t want her thinking I’ve gone soft.”

“Your secret is safe with me, as I hope mine is safe with you.”

“I think we understand each other.”

Their wing seemed quiet with Wynonna, Doc & Al gone. They had made plans to return next year with the new baby. Nicole and Waverly wouldn’t be by themselves for long as Willa and Bobo were due to arrive the following week. Waverly couldn’t bring herself to look forward to the visit. Willa had always been hateful to her as a child and she hadn’t enjoyed her marriage visit to them but traditional stated they had to visit even if just to keep up appearances.


	11. Willa and Bobo’s Visit

The day before Willa and Bobo were due to arrive, Nicole and Waverly were walking together through the forest.   
“I’m so grateful of the way you either spent time with Doc or found him things to occupy himself so I could have time alone with Wynonna, but could you not do that with Willa and Bobo please.”

“If you don’t want that, of course I won’t arrange for you to be alone with her.”

“We had to invite them, and they had to accept. I don’t know if they have any other motives than keeping up appearances but it’s not family feelings. They made that very clear when Wynonna and I visited them.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through that and that we’ve no option other than having them her but please remember this is your home now and they should respect that.”

“I hope so, but I doubt it.”

“I promise I’ll try to be with you as much as possible. We will deal with them together.”

Bobo had managed to combine a little business venture with the necessary marriage visit so the trip wouldn’t be a complete waste of time. His contacts had let him know Doc’s visit had proved fruitful leading to some business with Lord Haught. With his own greater business acumen, he hoped for an even more profitable visit. A good connection with a Noble House or two in this part of the Kingdom would fit nicely into his future plans. 

Determined to impress with their wealth they’d travelled in style. This would have had more chance of working if they hadn’t arrived in the middle of a downpour. Their first impression was more bedraggled than anything. Introductions were necessarily short to give them chance to dry off and change. 

“Willa may I introduce you to my wife Nicole. Nicole this is my sister Willa.” 

“This is my husband Robert Del Ray.” They made no move to physically greet the newlyweds and stood staring at them as if they were the ones who looked like something the cat dragged in rather than the other way around. Waverly quickly called for them to be shown to their room to get them out of there as soon as possible. 

Bobo dominated the conversation at their first dinner together and every subsequent meal after. He just talked at them about his latest business deals. The ladies couldn’t get a word in edgewise except occasionally when Willa would pour praise on her husband. Any attempt to change the conversation was rebuffed and ignored. The contrast between how relaxed they had been when Wynonna and Doc were there was startling. Both of the new couple felt that the next two weeks would be an exercise in patience. 

When the weather held they did the usual thing of showing the other couple around the estate. Bobo constantly compared everything to the Earp estate and explained how he would improve it once he was in charge, always slightly disparaging House Haught in the process. He talked down to all three women including his wife. It was at least better than days when they were unable to go out and they had to be entertained indoors. Nicole knew she could use the fact that her father needed her as an excuse to escape the tension but she had promised her wife so she only went when he really did need her. She had just returned from one such visit to her father’s study a few days into their stay when she was accosted by Bobo. 

“Do you know when your father plans for our formal introduction to take place?”

“You know it’s down to my father if he acknowledges you and I wouldn’t talk about it as if it’s going to take place. I doubt it will happen.”

“Doc got an introduction so why wouldn’t I. I’m much more successful than he is.”

“Success has nothing to do with it. My father is very much a man of form. Doc is another member of the nobility and my father recognised him as such. You are not a Nobleman and never will be.”

“My son will be the next Lord Earp and I will rule in his stead.”

“Your son doesn’t exist yet and my father may in time choose to recognise him if that happens, but he doesn’t deal with businessmen. He has advisors for that and he certainly never has dinner with them even those he actually does business with.”

“He arranged a business deal with Doc over dinner.”

“Yes, it’s not unusual for deals between Noblemen to be done like that but again you are not Noble born nor have you been raised to nobility by the King.”

“This visit is just a waste of time then. I should have let Willa come alone. This is her obligation not mine.” Nicole bit back exactly what she wanted to say and instead finished with.   
“You’ve made your visit. Feel free to leave at any time.”

“Oh no, I’ve arranged business dealings near here for after our planned visit, so we’ll be staying as planned.”

Bobo and Willa only got more difficult to deal with after they realised they weren’t going to be introduced to Lord Haught. Nicole realised that as surprising as it seemed they had probably been on their best behaviour before. They started making derogatory comments about Waverly when she was present which were just about within the bounds of propriety and she suspected they were worse when she wasn’t there. Waverly hadn’t said anything to her about it and Nicole didn’t think it was her place to interfere between the sisters. Things finally came to a head. Nicole had been forced to spend the morning with her father, leaving Waverly alone with the other couple. Bad weather had again kept everyone indoors and Willa was particularly fractious.

“What’s the use of having you married into this House if you won’t lift a finger to help the future of your own House. You need to persuade that freak of a wife of yours to get us an introduction to her father.”

“What did you say?”

“I said you need to use whatever ‘wiles’ you possess to get your wife to help my husband. Do something useful for a change.”

“No, you insulted my wife in our home, in her House. She’s not a freak! I think it’s time for you to leave Willa. Take you husband and get out of this House.”

“Oh Waverly, you don’t have any say in this House you’re just the little wife who’s been bought and paid for to keep the heir happy.”

A servant in the room realised the guests weren’t following his mistress’s demands and slipped out of the room to find her wife before things escalated further.  
“That’s rich coming from you Willa. How much exactly did Bobo pay for you? You’ve not even kept up your end of the deal so far. Where’s his son and heir?”

“Don’t you insult my wife, girl!” Bobo shouted. 

“I believe your wife started it.” Nicole said calmly as she entered the room. “Waverly what’s going on?”

“I asked my sister and her husband to leave.”

“Well Robert, why are you still here, if my wife asked you to leave?” 

“I don’t need to listen to her. She’s only your wife and you’re both women.”

“Yes, she’s my wife as I am her’s. We are equals here. I know that’s a difficult thing for you to understand. We both have power in this home. Now are you going to do as my wife told you or am I going to have to have you forcibly removed.”

“You can’t throw us out. I could buy and sell you ten times over.”

“Oh, do your research Robert. This House’s finances are solid. You couldn’t put a dent in them.”

“I wouldn’t stay here if you paid me. We’re leaving Willa.”

“One final thing. The nobility is well known for gossip. I’ll make sure all those Lord’s you’ve been dealing with know what happened here. The fact that you expected my father to receive you and were offended when it didn’t happen. That you acted like you had a say in what happened in my House. Those Noblemen don’t like people who don’t know their place. They won’t want to be seen dealing with you. It’ll make them look weak in front of their peers. They won’t risk their reputation over you.”

“You could ruin him!” Willa screeched. 

“You shouldn’t have done whatever it was that made your sister ask you to leave and you should have just gone when she told you to.”

“All I did was call you a freak.”

“That’s beside the point. Are you leaving or am I to have your husband dragged from the premises?”

“We’re leaving.” Willa and Bobo flounced out of the room calling for their servants. 

“I’m sorry about them.”

“Why are you apologising? They brought this on themselves.”

“They are my family though.”

“And hopefully that’s the last time we have to deal with them. Willa is definitely your father’s daughter.”

“I can’t believe Wynonna is the only member of my family who hasn’t been thrown out of your House. She’s the one considered the black sheep of the House.”

“It’s our House and I’m sure if you asked nicely Wynonna would gladly do something offensive so she got kicked out if you wanted the full set. She’s got a reputation to uphold as well.”

“Seriously House Earp’s reputation is looking unrecoverable at this point. If Willa and Bobo’s son is the next Lord Earp. I don’t want to imagine how much worse it could get.”

“We’ll deal with that when it happens. At least we get a break now before Alex arrives. I’ve always got on really well with them and I hope you do too. Wynonna even reminds me a bit of them.”

“If you’re right we need to keep those two apart. I can’t imagine handling two Wynonnas!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I nearly accidentally deleted most of this chapter. Scary times thank goodness for the undo button. 
> 
> Up next we meet another member of Nicole’s family


	12. Alex’s Visit

Alex Haught was Lord Haught’s younger sibling. They were read at age five as expected and when their parents received the results they asked the Maesters if they were sure Alex was old enough, but they confirmed it was a true reading. They were found to be neither a boy or a girl and had no desire for either a husband or a wife. Alex remained Alex and the Haughts raised them accordingly. With the expectations of neither gender to conform to they were a carefree child and grew into a spirited adult. 

When Alex came of age their father gave them two choices. They could remain at the main estate with the rest of the family or they would set them up in their own small household with an allowance. Alex chose the freedom of their own home. They didn’t spend all their time there though. They decided to travel throughout the Kingdom and find others like themselves. They initially found two members of the nobility in the same situation and the three of them spent time in all three Houses enjoying a simple companionship. They let it be known throughout their Houses that if others struggled to find a place in life due to their reading they could join them and after many years each of their households were mostly staffed by those who had found in them a safe haven.

Alex returned to the main Haught estate a few times a year, usually for the hunts. They had always got on well with their brother and when Edward became Lord Haught after their father’s death, they continued to visit. They enjoyed spending time with their niece and watching her grow up. They were looking forward to meeting her wife and deciding for themselves if she was good enough for her. They sometimes brought a companion with them but decided on this occasion to travel alone.

The day Alex was due to arrive, Waverly received word that Wynonna had safely given birth to her second child. The baby was named Jo and Doc’s message let her know that mother and baby were both doing well and currently screaming the house down. She couldn’t wait to meet her new nibling and was glad that a visit in the new year was already arranged. The message had distracted her from Alex’s imminent arrival. She knew they were important to Nicole and hoped to make a good impression. 

Alex had never stood on ceremony at the Haught estate. Once they arrived they handed their horse off to a groom and strode into the hall of the newlyweds’ wing.  
“Nicole! Introduce me to this gorgeous wife of yours.”

“Alex this is my wife Waverly. Waverly this is Alex.”

“Pleased to meet you Alex.”

“Come here my dears.” Alex engulfed both women in a bear hug. “I let Edward know when we made the arrangements that apart from dinner tomorrow I won’t be setting foot in their part of the house. I’m all yours for this visit. I know he’s arranged a little hunt this week. Such an obliging brother.”

“Yes, there’s a hunt on Friday.”

“Good, good. Am I in the blue room? Of course, I’ll see you at dinner.” Alex strode out of the room. 

“I told you they reminded me a bit of Wynonna.”

“It’s nice they still treat this house as their home.”

“You don’t need to be polite, Alex is just Alex. I find them refreshing, wait until they’ve settled in.” Waverly wasn’t sure how much more comfortable Alex could get. 

Dinner proved interesting as Alex switched between regaling them with stories of their travels and asking Waverly questions about herself. They finally moved onto their plans for the visit.   
“Did you manage persuade your father to buy you a new hunter as a wedding gift?”

“No, there’s nothing wrong with my horse.”

“You’ll come a cropper on that animal sooner or later. You were old enough to know better when you picked out a horse the same colour as your hair and then to call the beast Calamity!”

“Calamity and I get on just fine.”

“Will you be joining us on the hunt Waverly?”

“No, I’ve never enjoyed hunting.”

“She’s not trying to make you give up, is she?”

“No! Waverly is always there to see me off she just prefers not to join me.”

Waverly wasn’t entirely sure why she always joined them before the hunt. The first time had been simple curiosity but she’d been drawn back every time since. In one respect she was glad she didn’t go along. If Nicole’s offer to get her a pair of normal riding trousers had been embarrassing, she was sure an offer of hunting breeches would have been worse. Nicole’s fit her like a second skin. 

They were breakfasting on the third day when Alex pointed out a change in their niece’s routine.   
“When was the last time you trained Nicole?”

“I haven’t had time recently.”

“Nonsense I know you’ve struggled to find a suitable sparring partner but I’m here now and your wife can come and watch. Go get changed.” Seeing they weren’t to be dissuaded Nicole obediently left to put on something more appropriate. “I always felt it important Nicole knew how to defend herself, but she’ll always need to practice.”

Nicole returned dressed in trousers and a sleeveless shirt. Alex took off their jacket and led the way into the courtyard. They were furnished with two practice swords and took up a stance across from each other. What followed was an impressive display of swordsmanship for them both. Waverly was enraptured. She couldn’t look away. The sight of her wife moving with such ease and grace was having an effect on her that she couldn’t explain. They finally finished, both sweaty and exhausted.

“From the look of your wife I’d let her watch you train more often. I won’t be offended if you want this afternoon to yourselves. I can keep myself occupied if you’re busy. A bit of afternoon delight never hurt anyone.”

Waverly blushed scarlet and stared wide eyed at Nicole. Nicole looked almost as shocked as her wife but had a thoughtful perusal of Waverly after a moment.   
“Alex, I don’t know what you mean. You’re our guest and we won’t be abandoning you. Now let’s go clean up.”

Nicole was mortified, leave it to Alex to make that sort of implication. For someone who had no interest in that side of life for themselves they were quick to comment on everyone else’s love life. What puzzled Nicole was why they’d made the comment at that point. Had they seen something in Waverly that suggested she was interested in what they’d implied or was it wishful thinking on her part and Alex had just decided to make a joke at their expense. 

Waverly eventually got used to Alex’s blunt statements and wasn’t caught off guard as often. While they were out hunting she had time to think about what Alex had implied. She didn’t know if it was just how they expected a newlywed couple to act but her own reaction seemed to have triggered the comment. She didn’t really understand what was going on. 

After the hunt Alex sought out their brother. There was something bothering them.   
“Edward, something isn’t right with those two.”

“What do you mean Alex?”

“It’s as if they are holding back from each other and I don’t know why. Have you arranged for a bonding exercise for them?”

“What type of bonding exercise?”

“You’re the married man why am I having to explain this! Giving a new couple a challenge to work on together helps them properly bond. The most readily available is usually setting up home together but as they are staying here you need to find something else.”

“You think I should give them their own estate?”

“No Edward. It’s always been the way of our House to have the heir live here but do you remember what father had you do soon after your marriage?”

“He sent Jane and I around our Lands and tasked us with finding ways to improve the food distribution to the poor. We were gone for three months.”

“Yes and came back a stronger couple.”

“I had forgotten about that. I will find something for them.”

“Oh, while you are at it, speak to Jane about handing some of her responsibilities to Waverly. How is that girl to learn to manage this household with nothing to do, especially if you keep Nicole with you as much as you do.”

“Mother gave Jane a chance to organise the harvest feast. She was so nervous but she did wonderfully. I’m making a mess of this aren’t I.”

“I’m sure you are no worse than most fathers. I was just comparing what happened when you got married with now.”

“I’ll speak to Jane and we’ll both try to be better.”

“I’m glad Lord Haught is prepared to take my advice.”

“I know the consequences of ignoring you Alex.”

Alex stayed with them just over a week.   
“I don’t want to outstay my welcome; you two lovebirds deserve your home to yourselves.”

“Don’t be silly Alex, we’re enjoying your company.”

“You’ll see me again soon enough. I’m ready to get back to my own home for a while anyway. Take care of each other.”

“We will.”


	13. A New Challenge

Lord Haught gave careful thought to what sort of challenge he could give the newlyweds and discussed the matter with his wife. They both recalled their challenge with fondness. It didn’t make sense to have them tour the estate as he had sent Nicole shortly after she came of age. He needed something that would benefit the House. He didn’t want to give them something just for the sake of a challenge. He decided to look from the opposite angle and thought about what issues were currently troubling the House and see if they were suitable challenges. 

One problem had been irritating to the House since the first Lord Haught. The was a large area of land at the northern edge of their Lands that was a desolate wasteland. It was rocky scrubland which had resisted all attempts to tame it. It would certainly be a challenge to investigate the issue and if the new couple were able to find something useful to do with the land it would be a bonus. 

Lord Haught asked the couple to visit his study once he had arranged the logistics of the challenge. They were surprised that both of them were needed by the Lord as he usually asked for just Nicole. 

“I’d like you both to do a service for this House. In time you will lead this House and you need to learn how to work together to solve issues it may face.”

“What would you like us to do father?”

“Nicole I’m sure you remember the scrubland at the northern edge of our Lands. Various ideas have been attempted to bring it to productivity but all have failed. It is a large part of our Lands and yet it is currently useless. I’d like you to find a practical use for the land.”

“How are we to proceed? Could you give us some advice please?”

“As we are currently in the middle of winter I suggest you initially speak to the steward. He will be able to furnish you with the details of previous projects. You can investigate those and research ideas from here and in the spring, you can visit the area for yourselves. Do you both agree to undertake this task?”

“I do father.”

“If you think I can be a help then of course.”

“Good, good. You know where I am if you have any questions.”

Nicole and Waverly left the study and headed to the library. They quickly settled into their favourite chairs.   
“You didn’t sound very sure about this challenge Waverly. If you don’t want to do it, I’ll speak to my father.”

“Oh no I’d love to be involved. I was just wondering why he included me as part of it.”

“You mean besides the fact that he might value your input? I remember my mother telling me about a time not long after she was married when her and my father were sent out into the estate together to review some sort of provision for the poor. She was surprised to be included as well but she realised it’s supposed to show the new couple as a united front and make them visible to those who live on our Lands.”

“Oh, so your father is doing a similar thing as his own father.”

“It’s probably where he got the idea from. I’m sure my mother would talk to you about it if you asked. She recounted it as a good memory. It gave them a chance to get to know each other properly. If I remember rightly it was an idea of hers they ended up using as the solution.”

“I’m just not used to having my opinion count for much. My father wouldn’t even include Willa in the dealings of the House let alone me.”

“Well I do value you Waverly and I’m looking forward to working with you on this.”

“So am I. Should we ask the steward for details on ideas that have already been tried?”

“Yes. I’m sure my father has already spoken to him, so he hopefully has them to hand.”

The couple spent the next few weeks reviewing everything that had been tried previously along with what details were available of the land itself. It was frustrating not to be able to go investigate on site straight away but Lord Haught was adamant that they wait for better weather. The land was scrubland, uneven and rocky. It had resisted the planting of crops and trees. There had been an attempt to build housing but the bedrock was found to be full of holes. The previous plan that had seen the most success was when sheep had been grazed on the land. The sheep had survived but didn’t thrive the same way they did on other pastures. 

Nicole received a message one day while they were working. It was an update on Bobo from her contact in the capital. The facts of their marriage visit that she let be known had already started to impact his business. The Lords he had been trying to persuade to enter deals with him had become much more difficult to deal with. They didn’t want to be seen to be interacting with a man who disrespected his Noble relatives. Those Noblemen who already had dealings with Bobo had become nervous and were trying to extract themselves from the connection where possible. The Noblemen who were sons and brothers of Lords rather than Lords themselves had been the easiest to do business with initially as they often needed money, but they were the first to pull away, nervous that a connection to Bobo would be seen as them losing their nobility. Bobo and Willa were also being shunned by other businessmen and merchants who didn’t want to risk their own reputation in case it was implied they didn’t know their place as well. All in all, in a very short space of time Bobo’s business had really suffered. If only he hadn’t talked down to Waverly when she asked him to leave Nicole would have been content to just kick them out and hopefully limit their future interactions but he disrespected her wife and for that he paid the price. 

Waverly and Nicole spent a large part of each day trading ideas back and forth while building a plan of what they wanted to do once they were able to visit the site. They had a few projects they wanted to test and were also building a list of supplies they would need. Lord Haught was prepared to allow them whatever resources they requested. They were both impressed by the other’s intellect. Nicole had been raised knowing she would lead House Haught on behalf of her future son and was educated accordingly. Like most Haughts she had an aptitude for learning and diligently pursued her studies. Waverly had been given the education Lord Earp felt fit for a future wife as had her sisters. Needless to say, it wasn’t the most comprehensive but there was little anyone could do to keep the youngest Earp away from the House library and she had taught herself much that had been lacking. 

Eventually most of the plans had been put in place and it was just a case of waiting the few weeks for spring to arrive and then the couple would be able to make a proper start on their project. Waverly in particular was excited to see more of the Lands she now called home and Nicole was looking forward to being away from home with a little more freedom away from her father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next an unexpected event disrupts our couple’s plans. 
> 
> The scrubland is based on certain areas of the Yorkshire Dales near where I grew up if anyone cares. 
> 
> So my health tanked over the last couple of days but hopefully now I’m back on track


	14. An Unexpected Event

Preparations were already in place for the couple to set off on their challenge when Waverly received a message from the steward of House Earp. Her father had suffered an apoplexy and died shortly afterward. There had been nothing the Maesters could do. When the last of his daughters were married off there wasn’t anyone with even a semblance of interest in the Lord’s health in his House. The fact that he had poured most of the money he received for both Waverly and Willa down his throat hadn’t helped. Ward Earp was not a young man but he should have been expected to live many more years. 

While it wasn’t absolutely required, it was considered good form to return to your House to pay your last respects to your father. Once Waverly let Nicole and Lord Haught know what had happened, they made the arrangements for the couple to travel north. Their challenge was put on hold until this had been dealt with. House Earp was likely to be a place full of tension. Lord Earp hadn’t named an heir and the future of the House would now be in the hands of the King. They had received word that both of Waverly’s sisters would be there. Wynonna had not long given birth and though they were looking forward to seeing the baby it wasn’t ideal for her to travel but at least she already lived in Earp land. They knew dealing with Bobo and Willa was unlikely to be pleasant given what had happened at their marriage visit and afterward. 

The couple intended to travel as quickly as possible so after a hard day's ride they pulled into the inn ready to eat dinner and then get some sleep. When they were shown to their room and saw the bed they realised something which hadn’t occurred to them before, outside of their own home it was expected that even Noble married couples shared a bed. The bed itself was large enough to comfortably sleep two people without them coming into contact and both women were so tired they just carefully got undressed with their backs turned and got into bed on opposite sides. They were both asleep within minutes. 

Waverly woke first the following morning to a new sensation. She realised they had both moved in the night into the middle of the bed and she was now ensconced in Nicole’s arms, being held in an embrace, her back snug against her wife’s front. Before Waverly had a chance to decide if she should try to extract herself from the situation, Nicole woke up and quickly moved away from her as if she’d been stung.   
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

“Why are you apologising like that? We end up together in the middle of the bed. You’re my wife, you’re allowed to touch me.”

“Not without your permission.”

“You were holding me. It’s not like you were groping me while I was asleep unless something else went on that I wasn’t aware of.”

“Of course, not I would never do that!”

“I know, I was joking. Now please calm down. Besides it was nice to be held.”

“Alright I’m sorry I overreacted.”

They were soon on their way again. They spent two more nights in inns before reaching House Earp and they woke up in the same position each morning. It was awkward but unlike the first morning they just ignored it and got on with getting ready. 

They arrived at House Earp just before nightfall to find Wynonna and Doc were already there. Willa and Bobo were due to arrive in a couple of days. Ward Earp would be interred in the family vault they day after they had all arrived. A messenger from the King was also expected in the next few days. Until then there was no leader for the House. In fact, the House itself may well not exist at that point. 

Everyone was staying in the guest quarters and Waverly and Nicole were glad to be shown to their room, tired after their ride. The sleeping arrangements were the same as in the inns albeit with a bigger bed. The bigger bed made no difference as they both migrated towards the middle of the bed. Waverly made an offhand comment about how much colder it was than she had gotten used to further south. Nicole murmured in agreement both aware the temperature had little to do with it. 

The two couples decided there wasn’t much any of them could do about anything to do with the House so they spent most of the day before the final pair arrived with the children. Al had grown so much in the few months since Waverly and Nicole had last seen them and little Jo was a cute and placid baby. Nicole was more confident with the children this time although had been nervous when passed the baby for the first time. 

The next day Waverly showed Nicole around her old home and the closest parts of the estate. It felt good to be able to share memories of her House with her wife in the same way she had already done with House Haught. She showed Nicole her favourite places and where she spent most of her childhood. 

That night as they were going to bed Waverly was anxious about seeing Willa and Bobo again. She had an idea of something that would make her feel better and decided to just ask for it.  
“Will you hold me tonight please?”

“What...I….”

“We both know we are going to end up like that anyway and I’d like it to start while I’m awake to appreciate it. Being in your arms makes me feel safe and I need that tonight.”

“Of course, if you want me to I will. Try not to worry about them. They can’t do anything to us and if they act inappropriately we will leave.”

“They can make a lot of trouble and you know it. Let’s go to bed. I’m tired.”  
For the first time they both deliberately moved into the middle of the bed and Nicole took Waverly into her arms holding her the same way they had woken each morning. Waverly gave a sigh of contentment and settled down to sleep. It took considerably longer for Nicole to fall asleep as she appreciated the opportunity to hold the woman she was falling for. 

Waverly and Nicole were reluctant to leave their bed after a peaceful night’s sleep and were consequently quite late down for breakfast which prompted a puzzled look and raised eyebrow from Wynonna. Waverly wasn’t exactly sure why that caused her to blush. Her reaction was noticed by her sister and she was sure Wynonna would have said something if Doc hadn’t drawn her attention. 

As soon as Willa and Bobo had settled in and joined the others Wynonna decided it was time to set out some ground rules.   
“I don’t think any of us are exactly grief stricken by father’s death so let’s not have any fake outpouring of grief. I’m sure regardless of how he treated us none of us wanted him to drop down dead. Let’s get through tomorrow as the dignified adults we are and try to deal with what is happening with the House like civilised people.”

“I agree.” Waverly answered even though she was sure her sister’s comments weren’t aimed at her. 

“Yes, let’s not have the last throes of this House be taken up with petty squabbles. It’s a pity that this House is going to lapse. I wonder if the King would hold the title until I have a son. There is a precedence for that.”

“That was once for a favoured House and the grandson was already on the way. I doubt that would apply here. The King may use the opportunity to get rid of a House that has caused trouble.” Privately Waverly wondered why Willa was talking about waiting for her to have a son when Wynonna had two potential sons already. 

“Speculation isn’t going to get us anywhere. I suggest the easiest way to keep to what we’ve agreed is to keep to ourselves today, so I’ll see you all at dinner.”

The three couples separated to do their own thing throughout the day. They came back together for a tense dinner where Bobo did his usual trick of monopolising the conversation and speaking only to Doc. There was little point in trying to change things and everyone was glad to quickly leave once dinner was over. 

Everyone behaved themselves at Ward’s internment and it was a solemn, serious affair as it should be. None of the couples made a move to leave afterwards. It appeared they were all prepared to wait for the King’s messenger. 

The messenger the King sent was well known throughout the Kingdom if only because of the colour of his skin. His family had travelled to Trecrath many generations ago and had moved into the King’s service as more of a novelty initially. They were soon found to be very trustworthy and most sons down the years worked as messengers for the King. Dolls arrived and everyone including key members of the household staff were called together to hear the King’s decision. 

“King Nedley has decreed that House Earp will not lapse. He is willing to give the future of this House another chance. The two children of John Henry Holliday by Wynonna daughter of Lord Ward Earp are to be read at the appropriate age and assuming one is read as a boy they will be the new Lord Earp. Until such time as they come of age their father will lead in their stead. If neither are read as boys or if it is suspected that they have been subjected to gender manipulation the King will make a second decree based on the circumstances. This is the decision of King Nedley.”

Dolls left swiftly after announcing the decree. He knew it was best if House matters were resolved without witnesses and it was clear the message had not been well received by all present. 

Willa barely waited until Dolls had left before she exploded with rage.   
“Father never intended your children to inherit. This is a farce. House Earp is my birth right. You don’t deserve it.”

“I never asked for this. If you’d gotten on with giving father his heir, we wouldn’t be in this position.”

“Give it up then. Tell the King I should inherit.”

“You can’t inherit, and you have no son. I’m not going to throw away my children’s future for the King to give these Lands to someone else. If you had a son, father would have named him heir ahead of my family, but you didn’t give him what he needed before he died.”

“Why are you acting like it’s my fault?”

“Willa if you were having difficulties conceiving you’d have been to the Maesters immediately. You just preferred cavorting around the capital with your husband to being tied down with a child. You thought you had plenty of time and you got caught out. There’s nothing more you can do now.”

“There’s something I can do. If my son is not to be Lord Earp I demand my money back.” Bobo threw out. 

Nicole and Waverly had kept out of the argument so far, but the redhead felt she needed to interject.  
“Oh no Bobo. Your deal was with Lord Earp not the House and the only stipulation was that he not have a son which he didn’t. You have no claim on House Earp.”

“What is happening here. I bought this House and a couple of children aren’t going to stop me claiming what’s mine. I won’t let them stand in my way. They can be easily disposed of.”

“Are you threatening my children Del Ray? You’ve gone too far. Did you think I wouldn’t respond to that? The King’s decree will stand and as I now lead this House for my children you are no longer welcome on Earp land.”

“You can’t ban me from my own estate Holliday!”

“Oh, but I can. You know that as leader of House everything on Earp land falls under my protection and if I consider you a threat to the peace and future of this House you’ll never set foot in it again. Men! Remove this man from this House and its Lands. I’ll have your baggage and wife sent on to you.”

“You’ll regret this!” Bobo yelled as he was escorted from the room. 

“Willa get packed and follow your husband. Don’t say another word. My husband might not be prepared to have you thrown out but if you don’t go now I will.”

Willa looked like she was about to protest but then visibly deflated and left the room.   
“Well that went about as well as could be expected. I need to see my children. Doc please.” Wynonna left with her husband by her side. 

“I’m not sure why that was such a surprise to Willa and Bobo. Either the King was going to take the House away or give it to Wynonna’s children. Once our father died and Willa had no son they’d already lost. I think we’d better leave tomorrow as well. Doc and Wynonna have a lot to sort out and don’t need us here getting in the way.”

“Do you regret agreeing to marry me?”

“Nicole why are you asking me that now?”

“If you’d managed to put off marrying for a few months longer, Wynonna and Doc could have helped you find a husband.”

“What’s the use of what ifs. If we hadn’t gotten married a lot of things could have been different. My father might have survived even. I’d have still ended up married to a virtual stranger even if Wynonna tried to find me a nice one. That’s just the way life is for Noblewomen in this Kingdom. I made my choice and I’m not unhappy. I don’t regret it. Please don’t start thinking things like that again.”

“Okay we should let your sister know we are leaving in the morning. I know you’ll want to spend some more time with the children before we go.”

“I do, you know me so well.”

They left House Earp the following morning eager to return to tackle their challenge and put the unpleasantness behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next on with the challenge
> 
> So a tiny cameo from an old friend and a bit of a favourite trope in there this time


	15. Challenge Accepted

The couple were soon back at House Haught and prepared to go out to their project. Lord Haught had setup a small house for them with a few servants in a village near the edge of the area they were going to investigate. Waverly was surprised to find that she missed sharing a bed with her wife in the few days they were home and was looking forward to the opportunity to do so again. 

They were excited to get a first look at the area they were working with. They’d had some ideas during the winter but they needed to see the site before they committed to anything. The area covered several acres so they could try out several ideas at once. 

Their home for the duration was the largest house in the village they were staying in but was definitely small by Noble standards. When the couple arrived, they loved the place. It was nice for them to have their own home even if only for a few months. 

They rode out onto the site on their first morning to be greeted by a bleak but beautiful landscape. It was rocky underfoot with varying degrees of covering vegetation. They spent the entire day riding through the area and picking out suitable places for their tests. It was an interesting but cold day. Once back at the house they prepared to settle down for an evening in front of the fire. Their sitting room contained two very large high-backed armchairs facing the fire which were very comfortable but made it somewhat difficult to hold a conversation. After a few futile attempts Waverly had had enough, she stood, walked over to her wife and sat down in her chair with her. It was cosy but they both fit. Nicole just stared at her wife incredulously. 

“Don’t look at me like that. We were struggling to talk and this chair is big enough for the both of us. Besides it’s cold and you’re comfy.”

“You always have an answer before I even ask the question. Fine if you want us to sit together we will. Goodness knows what the servants will think.”

“We’re newlyweds. I doubt they care one way or the other. It’s hardly a scandalous position but if I’m making you uncomfortable I can go sit in the other chair again.”

“No don’t. I just wasn’t expecting you to be wanting to do this sort of thing.”

“Why not. You’re my wife and I’m happy. Let’s just let whatever happens happen.”

“Alright but please promise me that if I ever do anything to make you uncomfortable you will let me know.”

“I will, as long as you do the same.”

The next day they went over their initial plans and decided which ones they wanted to pursue. They drafted a message to Lord Haught as they went through requesting the necessary supplies. They wanted to try again with sheep. This time they were trying sheep not from the lush pastures of the Haught estate but hardier animals from the north used to harsher conditions. They needed a flock and shepherd for this trial. If it worked they’d produce wool and maybe even meat. Another plan involved a small herd of goats. If sheep had nearly worked before perhaps goats would be better. They needed the herd itself and a goat herd. Goats could provide milk and wool but there were none currently on the estate so they needed to source them elsewhere. Waverly was also interested in the rocks themselves so a workman was requested. Lord Haught employed a number of men purely for heavy work. They were in the local vernacular ‘strong int arm and thick int head’. Useful in this case for moving rocks about. Their completed list was dispatched to Lord Haught. 

They knew it would take several days for the first of their supplies to arrive so they took the opportunity to explore the area. Nicole seemed more carefree away from her responsibilities with her father. The local villagers were surprised but delighted to see the couple walking and riding through the area, laughing and joking with each other. They were often holding hands as they walked and they were even seen with an arm around the other. There was a rumour circulating that Lord Haught’s daughter had been observed lifting her wife to sit on a wall. To see the young couple so comfortable with each other was such a departure from the formal manner that was usually observed in the nobility. 

Waverly wasn’t sure what had happened with Nicole but suddenly her wife was being much more open with her physically both in the house and out. In the evenings they shared the chair by the fire and now Waverly was virtually sat in her wife’s lap with Nicole’s arms around her. If the redhead was first into bed as she usually was she moved to the middle and opened her arms waiting for her wife to join her. Waverly was enjoying their new-found closeness and hoped it was something which would continue. They were lazing in bed one morning when Nicole reminded her of the need to get up. 

“Come on we can’t stay in bed all day. I expect the first of our supplies to arrive this morning.”

“Just five more minutes. I’m warm and comfy.”

“Seriously get out of bed.”

“You are still here as well you realise.”

“Right I’m getting up. I expect you to follow.”

Waverly leaned over and kissed her wife on the cheek then got out of bed.   
“I’m up! Why are you still lying there?”

Nicole just laid there stunned for a few more moments until she also started getting ready for the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next the supplies and more arrive
> 
> Just a bit of filler and fluff to move us forwards this time


	16. Labouring Under An Assumption

The supplies arrived as expected that morning. Unfortunately, they all arrived at once, at their house. It was a fraught day as they tried to get sheep and goats to where they belonged along with their carers. Nicole was forced to corral both men and beasts. All was finally safely disposed of. They weren’t sure if there had been a miscommunication or if Lord Haught was testing them. They hoped they had passed if that was the case. 

Throughout the day there was a new man who had just sat on a wall watching and laughing at the problems they were having. When everything else was sorted Nicole turned her attention to him.   
“What are you doing lurking here? Don’t you have work to do?”

“I’ve been sent by Lord Haught. Champ’s the name.”

“Are you the labourer?”

“Yes. I was told I was here to do something with rocks.”

“We will show you what is expected of you tomorrow. For now, go and find your lodgings.”

They had decided to each concentrate on one area to move things along quicker. Nicole planned to deal with the animals and Waverly was to deal with getting samples of the rock. Nicole saw her wife off with the labourer and a man at arms for her protection then rode off to the new sheep pastures. 

They had enclosed an area with good vegetation coverage close to the village for the sheep. The flock appeared to have reached the pasture without incident and the northern sheep seemed to be enjoying their new diet. In the afternoon she went to check on the goats who were on more rocky ground a few miles away. They were exploring their new home with determination. 

The pattern continued for the next few days. Nicole spent most of her time talking to the shepherd and the goatherd to learn more about the animals and if they felt anything else was needed for their care. There had been no problems so far. Each evening the couple would snuggle up in the chair and tell each other the progress that had been made during the day. Nicole loved how animated Waverly looked when she explained what she had been doing. 

One day Nicole decided to ride over to where Waverly was working in the afternoon to see how she was getting on and accompany her back home. She had missed their closeness while they had been working apart. As she crested a hill she could see her wife sat on a rock while the labourer hacked at the ground in front of her. Neither had noticed her arrival. As she had gotten closer she could hear the man openly flirting with her wife. She was shocked, why hadn’t Waverly told her the man was being forward and bothering her. They could have sent him away and found a replacement, then she heard her wife laugh and start flirting back. Nicole turned her horse around and slunk away without being seen. 

She rode through the area with no fixed destination in mind, lost in her thoughts. She felt devastated. It was her own fault, she’d let herself believe that Waverly’s openness with her, meant she might be developing feelings for her, when instead it looked like she was just getting whatever comfort possible out of this marriage. Nicole had let her guard down and opened herself up to this hurt. She didn’t blame her wife she blamed herself. 

Her first thought was to have the man dealt with for daring to be so forward with a Noblewoman, particularly her wife but she refused to abuse her power in that way if there was no objection from her Waverly. Ultimately, she wanted Waverly to have the best life possible no matter what that did to her own heart. If her wife wanted a man in her bed she would do the best to make that happen. They would need to be discreet and careful, Nicole wasn’t prepared to bring up someone else’s child. She wasn’t sure Champ was the best choice for this, she couldn’t imagine the idiot ever being discreet but if he was who her wife wanted she would find him work near their home and try to find a way to make it work. 

Nicole rode around until she had steeled her resolve to speak to her wife and night had already begun to fall. She returned to the house to find Waverly anxiously waiting for her.   
“Where have you been? You’re so late back.”

“I went for a ride when I finished. I’m sorry I worried you.”

“Is everything alright?”

“I’m fine. I’m sorry I delayed dinner. Let’s eat.”

Nicole tried to pull herself together. She didn’t want Waverly to know how hurt she was. It wasn’t her fault after all. She decided the needed conversation was best undertaken at the table. She feared she would lose her nerve if her wife was sat in her lap. 

“My ride took me near where you were working this afternoon. You seemed to be having fun with Champ, so I decided not to disturb you.”

“You wouldn’t have been disturbing me. I could have showed you what I’ve been doing.”

“I will take a look tomorrow if you’d like. Would you like me to arrange work for Champ at the main house once we leave here?”

“Would that be thanks for the work he has done here?”

“It would allow you to continue to see him and if he is discreet he may visit you.”

“What are you saying Nicole?”

“I don’t want you to be denied anything you need in life because you are married to me.”

“And you think I need Champ!”

“When I saw you this afternoon he was flirting with you. I was about to intervene when you laughed and flirted back. I’m trying to help you.”

“Nicole before I met you I led a very sheltered life. After Wynonna’s hasty marriage my father was careful to keep me away from men and boys. I was surprised when Champ began flirting but I was flattered by the attention and allowed him to continue. I should have stopped him and I shouldn’t have encouraged him. I didn’t really realise what I was doing. I’m sorry you had to see that. I don’t want him.”

“You don’t need to explain yourself to me.”

“He has not behaved appropriately and neither have I. I am your wife and should behave like it. Send him away, his work here is almost done anyway.”

“If not Champ then if another such crosses your path. I want you to know it’s alright. I don’t need to know. You can manage that side of your life yourself. There won’t be any trouble.”

“Listen to me Nicole. I have no plans to ever take a lover. I wouldn’t disgrace our marriage like that. I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything. Please believe me. If I do something that bothers you or that you don’t understand please speak to me before coming up with these ideas.”

“Alright.” The redhead wasn’t convinced but was prepared to drop the subject. 

“Will you come and sit with me by the fire? I want to tell you what I’ve found.”

They moved to the sitting room and settled in their usual chair. Nicole still wasn’t entirely comfortable having her wife that close but she wouldn’t deny her.   
“Tell me. What have you discovered?”

“I think the rock which covers the area is limestone. If it is it can be turned into lime. If I’m right that useless piece of land is full of the best building material in the Kingdom. It would be worth a fortune.”

“How do we prove it?”

“Could you write to your father and ask him to send a man who works as a charcoal burner please. His skills will allow us to test the rock.”

“I’ll send a message in the morning. I hope you’re right about this.”

“So do I!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next another new arrival causes further problems 
> 
> I know, I know our ladies need to learn to communicate properly and not jump to conclusions but where’s the fun in that


	17. What Goes Around Comes Around

The message to Lord Haught for the charcoal burner was sent the following morning and Champ went with it. A small amendment to the note asked that he be found a suitable position far away from the main estate. Nicole wanted him out of sight and mind. 

They went over what each other had been doing while they waited for the necessary means to move forward with testing the rocks. Nicole had shown Waverly the animals and she was quite taken with them. The next plan for the goats was to try and see if they could milk them successfully. She was going to try to find someone locally to help her. 

Things were tense between the couple. Nicole had lost all openness with Waverly, shying away from physical contact and the brunette knew she had lost a lot of her wife’s trust. She wasn’t sure how to get it back. She didn’t know how to fix it. She decided to try to give Nicole some space while they both concentrated on their projects. 

The charcoal burner, an older man named Sam arrived eventually accompanied by his daughter Shae. She was to keep house for her father while he helped with the project and find some local work. She was a charming, pretty young woman a few years older than Waverly who had so far been unsuccessful in finding a wife. Her father hoped the new village may prove useful in that respect. 

Waverly took Sam to her worksite and instructed him to build a contained fire to heat the crushed rocks. While they were waiting for it to heat up they talked a little. As she tried to get to know him she asked a few questions about his family. His wife had passed away a few years ago but they’d had five children, three boys who followed the same trade as their father and two daughters of which Shae was the youngest and the only one still at home. She wasn’t yet settled in life but he mentioned she had some experience in milking cows. Waverly took a note to mention that to Nicole that evening. 

Nicole seemed happy Waverly had found a possible candidate to help her with the goats. The brunette kept her wife updated with the latest from the start of the tests. The initial signs were hopeful of it being successful. The couple were delighted with how the project was progressing. 

Over the next few days Waverly was much engrossed in her part of the project. She was aware Nicole had arranged for Shae to start working with the goats and was leaving early each morning with her and returning late after the evening milking. She barely saw her wife other than for dinner each day. 

Sam and Waverly worked tirelessly but carefully trying to produce quicklime, the all-important ingredient of lime mortar. They heated the crushed rocks in the specific way Waverly had researched. Sam was an expert at keeping the fire at the correct temperature to change the rocks. The first batch now just needed to cool and then it could be tested. 

Waverly was overjoyed when the substance was added to water and it changed to what was expected, the bowl becoming hot in the process. She’d wanted Nicole with her for the test but apparently the milking of the goats was critical so she’d let her go. There was no need to wait to share her success though and Waverly set off for the goat enclosure to see her wife. 

Shae was clearly trying to teach Nicole how to milk the goats. They were sat side by side next to the animal talking quietly. Waverly noticed how intimate they looked together before she made her presence known. 

“It worked Nicole. This place is full of limestone.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful. We’ve had success here too. Shae has managed to milk the goats and she’s even been teaching me.”

“That’s good. I must get back I just wanted to let you know.”

“Are you sure? I’ll see you this evening.”

Waverly looked back as she walked away and found them already back in conversation. They’d been spending so much time together but she’d been wrapped up in her own work and hadn’t really noticed. She felt sick. Shae was a lot subtler than Champ but possibly more successful. She thought back on the times she had seen them together in a new light. She had pushed her wife away with her actions and into the arms of another woman. 

Another test was arranged using stone from another area to check if it could produce the same results. Waverly trusted Sam to repeat the test so she had more free time than previously. She didn’t want to jump to conclusions about Nicole based on one event. She decided to try to find out how her wife was spending her time. The goats needed attention in the early morning and evening so even if she was at every milking she was free during most of the day. Waverly felt conflicted she didn’t want to spy on her wife but she wanted some idea what was going on. 

She rode over to the sheep enclosure one afternoon to check on the animals and chat with the shepherd. He told her that Nicole visited briefly about once a week. She continued onto the goat enclosure but neither Shae or Nicole were there. The goatherd let her know that while they were always there for the milking they left shortly afterwards each time. She went back to check on her latest test. A couple of pointed questions to Sam had him admit that Shae was apparently being worked hard by Nicole and she was busy each day from dawn to dusk. 

That evening over dinner Waverly decided to ask her wife what was going on.  
“I rode over to check on the goats this afternoon and thought you might be there.”

“Oh, no, I’m not needed there during the day, so I went riding this afternoon.”

“Alright.”

Nicole clearly didn’t want to discuss what she’d been doing so Waverly changed the subject, her courage lost. 

The following afternoon Waverly went riding through the area. She spotted her wife on her horse in the distance and she wasn’t alone. Shae was sat in front of Nicole and she had her arms around her. There wasn’t an innocent explanation for that. Nicole wasn’t trying to be discreet she obviously didn’t care who knew including her wife. 

Waverly wasn’t as gracious as Nicole, she couldn’t make the offer she had done. She couldn’t tell her wife to take a mistress if she wanted. She doubted her permission was wanted or needed, but she could be the good little wife she’d been bought as. She could look the other way and pretend it wasn’t happening. She could make sure she wasn’t forcing her presence or attention onto her wife when she wanted to be elsewhere. It was time to pay her back for everything Nicole had done for her, from offering her a safe haven to then offering to marry her to dealing with her family. 

Waverly had a hard time dealing with what was going on and acting as normal. Her marriage had so far exceeded all expectations and it was difficult now her wife’s attention was elsewhere. Nicole often returned late and seemed distracted. Waverly took to reading in her own chair in the evening and going to bed early claiming tiredness. When Nicole came up to bed her wife was already asleep on her own side of the bed. 

The second test was a success and the project was going well even if their marriage was not. They established a quarry in the most desolate part of the area and new cart ways linked it to the main highways. It was far away from the villages as were the lime kilns, but they were building new animal enclosures nearby. The wool they produced would bring in a useful income and it was hoped the extra meat and cheese would help the local poor. 

As they were starting to make plans to return to the main estate. Waverly overheard a conversation between Sam and Shae at the site of the new quarry. The young woman had come there deliberately to speak to her father. She was explaining to him that it was unlikely she would return with him to their old home as Nicole planned to take her with her. They weren’t talking quietly and it was clear from the look on her face that Shae was aware Waverly could hear them. 

At dinner one night in their last week in the village Nicole was the one to finally raise the subject.   
“I’m going to ask Shae if she’d like to work nearer the main estate. She’s been of tremendous help here.”

“I know it’s not my place to ask but I’d like to know where we stand before we return. Is she to become your mistress?”

“What...I…”

“It’s entirely your business. I should have realised when you offered with Champ you’d have the option as well. I just need to know.”

“Waverly, Shae isn’t my mistress nor is she going to be. Whatever gave you that idea?”

“You thought I wanted Champ when you saw us flirting once. You pulled away from me. You’ve been spending all your time with her and you just told me you’re bringing her back with us. What am I supposed to think?”

“I enjoyed her company, she’s an intelligent girl. I thought being at the main estate would be a step up for her.”

“Don’t insult my intelligence please.”

“What happened with Champ hurt and she’s been sympathetic.”

“So, what, it was revenge.”

“No, she was just in the right place at the right time.”

“Nicole you clearly like her, and she seems besotted with you. I’m not going to stand in your way if you want to pursue something with her.”

“I don’t want her or any other woman Waverly.”

“You might want to tell her that. She appears to be under a different impression.”

“What on earth has she said to you?”

“Only that you mentioned bringing her with you.”

“I swear I didn’t mean it like that. I’ll talk to her and get her good work elsewhere.”

“Just be honest with me please. That’s all I’m asking.”

“I’ve never touched her.”

“I saw you riding together on your horse. She calls you Nicole. Don’t tell me nothing happened.”

“I haven’t invited her into my bed and I don’t intend to.”

“I don’t want you to deny yourself for my sake. You were kind enough to marry me. I can deal with it.”

“Why do we keep doing this to each other. You’re my wife and I’m satisfied with that. Please believe that and I will try to believe you when you say the same thing.”

Waverly wasn’t sure if Nicole had been naive in her dealings with Shae or if she just didn’t expect her to find out and had now panicked but she was prepared to try to move forward.   
“As far as I’m concerned we are fine as we are. We can make this marriage work together if we talk to one another and try not to look like we are getting involved with other people.”

“You’re right we are fine as we are. We’ve met all the challenges set for us here including those neither of us expected. It’s time to go back and see what’s next for us.”

They spent the next few days tying up the final loose ends which included an awkward conversation between Nicole and Shae where it was made clear she would not be moving to the main estate but would instead be remaining in the village to train the new milkmaids. If Nicole had also sent Alex a letter asking them to source some unattached young women who liked women for the job (while promising her wife she had no intention to return to the village) that was purely a coincidence. 

The couple were trying to spend more time together and to build back the bond that had been broken. Their talk had cleared the air but it would take time for them both to forget what had happened. They needed to rebuild the trust in their marriage. 

The quarry and kilns were running well and the setup was complete for the new animal enclosures so the couple were content that their project was finished from their perspective. They set off back to the main estate and hoped to leave their problems behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next are they really fine as they are?


	18. Are We Really Fine As We Are

Lord Haught congratulated the couple on their return. They had turned a useless area of land into one of the most productive on the estate. That part of the challenge had been a resounding success. Unfortunately, the main aim had been to bring the couple closer together and from his observation they were further apart than when they’d left. They didn’t look comfortable with each other at all. He hoped that his challenge hadn’t caused an insurmountable rift between the couple. 

While they had been away Lady Haught had made preparations to handover certain of her responsibilities in the House to Waverly. This would give her more free time and her daughter-in-law a chance to experience some of her future tasks. Waverly was grateful to have something to take up her time and threw herself into her new work with gusto. She spent most mornings with her mother-in-law learning about the Lady’s function within the House. 

***********  
Nicole was thoroughly ashamed of herself. There was no excuse for her recent behaviour. She’d been so careful before she was married, not to get herself into any awkward situations with those below her, aware it could be considered an abuse of her power. She was married now and had made a fool of herself over a pretty girl. She’d been hurting over Waverly flirting with Champ but she knew that had gone no further and her wife had told her to send him away once confronted then she’d turned around and done something worse. 

Nicole hadn’t lied to her wife, she hadn’t been unfaithful, and she hadn’t intended to take Shae as her mistress, but she was self-aware enough to realise it might have happened had she brought the girl back with her. She’d made herself more emotionally and physically available to a milkmaid than her wife. The girl had mentioned she’d never ridden a horse and she was suddenly offering to take her with her. She didn’t know what on earth she’d been thinking. 

She’d told Waverly she was enough for her and thought she’d meant it. It was so difficult to be close to her when she didn’t return her feelings but she had gone into the marriage with her eyes open and it had been her idea. There was no point in rehashing things again. She had brought this situation on herself. 

Nicole needed to regain Waverly’s trust and if she was honest with herself she needed to rebuild her trust in her wife. In the first few weeks of their project they’d found an ease with each other that she wanted to get back. It wasn’t going to be easy or happen quickly. They almost needed to start again. They’d both hurt each other, intentionally or not. 

She made a start by putting aside time for her wife. She spoke to her father to ask if he could allow her some free time in the afternoons to spend with Waverly. She explained that they had gotten used to being together for a few hours each day and would like to continue to do so (she conveniently failed to mention that they had stopped some time ago but her father didn’t need to know that). Lord Haught readily agreed as he hoped it was a positive sign for the future that they wanted to spend time together. 

Nicole started small. She invited Waverly to walk with her or join her in the library if the weather was inclement. She gave her wife her full attention. She made sure to fulfil any commitments to Waverly. If she said she’d do something, she did it, no matter how small. She arranged for a new piece of furniture to be added to their sitting room, a chair similar to the one they’d shared at the village. It was there to show her intentions for the future. She tried to engage her wife in conversations about her interests and the responsibilities her mother had given her. Waverly didn’t rebuff any of her efforts but she didn’t make any moves herself. 

Over time Nicole became a little bolder and reached for her wife’s hand as they walked. She also suggested riding together again, something she avoided at first because of the awkward association. Whatever she tried Waverly allowed but was no more enthusiastic. Nicole wondered about trying something drastic like a kiss to see if she’d allow that as well but decided not to as she didn’t want to get slapped. More seriously she knew she would never give up trying to regain her wife’s trust and confidence unless Waverly explicitly asked her to stop. 

**********  
Waverly knew Nicole was trying to repair their marriage. Her wife had set aside time for them to spend together each day and even though the new chair remained unused it was an indication that Nicole wanted them to get back to a place where they’d be comfortable sitting together again. So far Waverly had gone along with her wife’s efforts but her heart wasn’t in it. She was still hurting and she didn’t know why. 

Waverly was confused. She didn’t understand why the thought of Nicole with someone hurt so badly. The fact that she hadn’t been honest with her added to the pain but it wasn’t the cause. Until she had figured out what was causing the pain she wasn’t able to move forward. She wanted to rebuild her marriage but didn’t feel able to do so. She didn’t particularly want her wife to be unfaithful but if she didn’t want her that way why wasn’t she prepared to overlook it. 

The thought of Nicole and Shae together made her feel sick. She didn’t know why the thought of Nicole with someone else made her feel that way. She suddenly realised the problem. It was the fact that her wife was with someone who wasn’t her that hurt. She was jealous of Shae. The girl had captured her wife’s attention but at first, she hadn’t even noticed. She’d been too busy with her own project. It was only after seeing how intimate they were that she became concerned. She wanted Nicole to be like that with her. She wanted Nicole. 

Waverly never expected to realise she was attracted to her wife. She knew she cared about her. She had done ever since she had taken care of her after her father abandoned her at House Haught and it had only grown since. She wished she’d worked that out earlier. It might have saved them both some pain. 

She wondered if her wife wanted her in that way. There were times when the thought had crossed her mind before, when Nicole had offered to marry her and when she’d become so open in the early days at the village but after recent events she wasn’t sure. Waverly wasn’t prepared to put her heart on the line by admitting her feelings to her wife. She didn’t trust Nicole with her heart. She wasn’t sure she wouldn’t break it. 

Waverly resolved to put more effort into bridging the gap between her and her wife. Nicole was trying and it was her turn to move things forward. If they grew closer again she might be able to work through her feelings and decide what to do with them.

***********  
Nicole noticed a change in her wife, she was no longer shying away from her and she had started to initiate contact with her again. Waverly occasionally was the one to reach for her hand when they were walking and she walked closer to her as well. She was starting meaningful conversations. Nicole no longer had to fight for every response. They were growing more comfortable with each other every day. 

She wanted to ask her wife to share their new chair. She missed having her next to her in bed at night but she was too scared to risk the tentative comfort they had found to ask. She hoped Waverly would eventually suggest it. She knew she was a coward where her wife was concerned. 

The tension between them was starting to clear. Nicole wasn’t going to get complacent. She would keep trying her best for as long as it took. Waverly deserved it. She was worth the effort. 

*************  
Waverly saw the effect her opening up had on her wife. Nicole smiled when Waverly took her hand and visibly relaxed when she was the one to begin a conversation. She could see how her proximity affected her as well. They had become comfortable with each other again. They weren’t back to where they had been but they were getting there. She was sure now that Nicole had some sort of feelings for her. How deep they went she wasn’t sure but she’d begun to trust her again. Her wife had been consistently trying to prove she was sorry for what had happened. They really needed to talk everything out properly at some point, now enough time had passed to bring them both some perspective. She hadn’t forgotten what had happened but she was ready to move beyond it. 

Waverly knew they were getting closer but there was no way with their background that Nicole would risk making the first move to bring them together romantically, so it was up to her. She had to find a way to get her wife’s attention in a way that got her point across. She began to formulate an idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next Waverly makes her move
> 
> So this is the obligatory processing chapter. What happened hasn’t been forgotten but it’s time to move this relationship forward


	19. Waverly Makes A Move

It took several days for Waverly to get up the courage to put her plan into action. She had decided on something simple but hopefully effective. After dinner one evening as they prepared to go relax for the evening, Waverly took her wife’s hand and led her to their sitting room. She indicated for Nicole to sit in the big chair. Waverly sat on her wife’s lap, turned around, and kissed her. It was a chaste kiss which didn’t last for long but when the brunette pulled away Nicole looked stunned and for a moment Waverly was concerned she’d read her wife’s feelings incorrectly until a gentle bemused smile crossed the redhead’s face. 

“What prompted that?”

“I finally realised why the thought of you and Shae bothered me so much. I wanted you for myself. I wanted our marriage to be real in every sense. I was just too scared to admit it, even to myself.”

“The thought of being fully married to me scares you?”

“I never expected to feel that way about you, then I did, and I thought it might be too late.”

“It’s not too late. I’ve always wanted you.”

“We’re still not there yet but I know where I want us to get to.”

“I understand you still don’t trust me.”

“I want to but…”

“Will you let me court you? We can take things slowly and build our future as we have been doing. There’s no rush we have the rest of our lives.”

“I think I’d like that and perhaps we can spend more time like this.”

Waverly leaned in to kiss her wife again. It was soft and sweet but with a hint of passion.   
“You can do that any time you like. Will you allow me the same privilege?”

“I think it’s only fair that if I can kiss you, then you are allowed to kiss me.”

Nicole didn’t need to be told twice. She sat forward and captured her wife’s lips with her own. They spent the rest of the evening trading kisses back and forth and when it was time for them to retire to bed Nicole left her wife with a final kiss to her hand and a promise to continue things tomorrow. 

They spent most evenings and some afternoons in their new favourite chair. Snuggled up together they talked more freely than they had done in a long time. Every now and then one or the other would pause the conversation to use their lips for more pleasurable things. Their activities never escalated, although occasionally Nicole had to fight to keep herself in check. She was determined not to rush Waverly, things would happen at her pace. 

One afternoon about a week after Waverly’s confession, Nicole asked her wife if she minded if they didn’t spend it together. The brunette agreed with little consideration. It was the first afternoon that they had spent apart since they had returned and she assumed the redhead had a good reason even if she didn’t elaborate. She didn’t see her wife again until she entered the dining room to find her waiting for her by the door. The table was laid more intricately than usual and the meal consisted of one of Waverly favourite dishes. Nicole was particularly attentive and had dismissed the servants but seemed nervous. 

“Would you accompany me to the glade with the waterfall in it tomorrow? I’ve arranged it so that we are both free.”

“Yes, I’d love to. Is that what has made you so nervous?”

“When I took you there the first time I imagined what it would be like if we were a real couple. I’d like a chance to make that a reality.”

“Nicole that was even before we discussed getting married.”

“I’ve cared for you for a long time. I told myself when I asked you to marry me that I could care for you and be happy as a platonic couple. I found it more difficult than I expected and I’m sorry for that but now I know we have a future together I want us to experience things we missed out on by doing things out of order.”

“So, tomorrow is a replay of what was an amazing day made even better?”

“I hope so.”

After breakfast the next morning Nicole led Waverly towards the stables. Only one horse was saddled.   
“Nicole…”

“I’ll have the groom saddle your horse if you want but I’d like a chance to replace a bad memory with a better one.”

All Waverly could think about was how much it had hurt to see Nicole and Shae riding together.   
“I don’t think I can do this.”

“Please don’t say I’ve ruined the day before it’s really started.”

“I’m still willing to go but please get my horse saddled.”

They were soon on their way, but it was a quiet ride to the glade. Once they arrived the sight took Waverly’s breath away. It was a beautiful place and Nicole had picked a perfect day for the excursion. The glade was laid out the same way as their first visit, complete with a blanket on the ground. Nicole decided to continue with her plan regardless of the setback. She sat on the blanket next to her wife and opened her arms. Waverly moved into her embrace and Nicole laid them down looking at the waterfall. They relaxed peacefully for a while. 

“I’m sorry about this morning. I should never have suggested it.”

“No, I understand what you were trying to do but thinking about you and Shae together still hurts. Help me forget about it please.”

Waverly turned in her wife’s arms and kissed her. They got lost in each other for some time. Nicole was able to bring her fantasy to life, always having her wife within arm’s reach. She doted on Waverly, even hand feeding her small morsels of food. All in all, it was an enjoyable day. 

It was late in the evening when they returned to the house.   
“I don’t want this day to be over.”

“It doesn’t have to be. Join me tonight.”

“Waverly are you serious?”

“Just to sleep. We’ve shared a bed before and I’ve missed you holding me while I sleep.”

“I’d love to join you. I missed it.”

“Let’s go to bed then.”

They both slept better than they had in weeks, in each other’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next Lord Haught gets impatient 
> 
> So Waverly’s big plan turned out to be sit in Nicole’s lap and kiss her. I wonder where that ide came from.


	20. Lord Haught Becomes Impatient

Lord Haught felt he had dealt fairly with his daughter and her wife. He hadn’t immediately insisted that they provide him with the needed heir but there appeared to be no signs of one on the way and he was losing his patience. The future of House Haught was at stake. He was not yet an old man but Ward Earp proved age didn’t always factor into things. 

Unfortunate rumours had followed his daughter home from her challenge. She was alleged to have been indiscreet with a young woman. The gossip seemed too detailed to be untrue and that combined with the apparent distance between his daughter and her wife until recently made him believe them. It was an old trick to use a baby to distract from talk and restore a reputation but Lord Haught was prepared to make use of it in the circumstances. 

Nicole was called to her father’s study.   
“Nicole, I have been patient and understanding so far but it is time the future of this House is secured. You need to do your duty and provide me with an heir.”

“How much time will you give us?”

“What sort of question is that?”

“Waverly and I are working through a few things at the moment so if you insist on an heir immediately we’ll go to the Maesters.”

“Would these difficulties have anything to do with the rumours circulating about you and some young woman?”

“They’re not difficulties per say but you’re right it’s not unrelated.”

“Your life is your business, but I thought we’d raised you better than that. You represent our House with everything you do. Please don’t forget that.”

“I’m sorry father. I should have known better. I have apologised to Waverly and we are working through it.”

“Very well. We need that heir Nicole. I won’t be put in the same position as Ward Earp, but I won’t interfere in your marriage not if you are truly trying to make things work.”

“We are father, and I promise you that we both know that an heir is needed sooner rather than later.”

“I’ll say no more then for now. However, your mother knows what I was speaking to you about and asked me to send you to her afterwards. She may not be as understanding.”

“I’ll go see her now.”

“She’s waiting for you in her sitting room.”

Nicole was apprehensive about speaking with her mother. Ever since she was a child a specific request to speak to her never meant anything good.   
“Nicole, has your father spoken to you about your duty to provide him an heir?”

“Yes mother, and he’s has agreed to Waverly and I taking a little while longer to have a child.”

“I couldn’t give your father what he needed. It is now up to you to secure the future of this House.”

“I know and if it’s within my power I will.”

“You’ve been married for nearly nine months. We can’t wait another year before there is the first child.”

“I know we need at least the heir and the spare who are both boys for things to be safe and in time we’ll get there.”

“I’m sorry you are in this position. If I had been able to have a son, your life would be your own, but we are where we are.”

“Mother I know my role in this House and I will fulfil it. I just need a little more time. “

“If your father has agreed it’s the end to the matter I suppose. There was something else I wished to discuss with you.”

“Yes mother.”

“Why am I hearing rumours that you disgraced yourself and your House while you were away?”

“I’m sorry mother.”

“What on earth were you thinking? We never had those problems with you before your marriage and now you go and do something like this. I won’t put up with you acting like this. Do you hear me? I don’t care how old you are.”

“It was foolish of me. I promise it won’t happen again.”

“See that it doesn’t. The labourer who assisted you has also been making comments about your wife. That came to my attention before your father heard about it and he has been dealt with, he won’t be spreading any more rumours, but see to your marriage. The true state of your marriage is your business until it affects the reputation of this House. It looks like neither of you are blameless in this.”

“Waverly didn’t do anything mother. My wife and I will make this House proud of us.”

“I hope so Nicole.”

Nicole knew she needed to speak to Waverly about them having a child. If her father had insisted a few weeks ago, they would have gone to the Maesters for assistance but with things changing between them there was another possibility now. She just wasn’t sure they were ready for it yet. She was determined that neither their situation or her parents were going to rush Waverly. 

They were snuggled up together that afternoon when Nicole raised the topic.  
“Both my parents suggested today that we give the House an heir sooner rather than later.”

“Oh…. well we knew that was expected when we got married.”

“I’ve got them to agree that we can still take our time with this. I’m not going to push you into something you’re not ready for. We can get the Maesters help if we need to.”

“You don’t want that though I can tell.”

“If you are going to have my baby, I’d rather it be without assistance unless we have problems but it’s up to you. We can always try the old-fashioned way for another child later.”

“You said they’ve given us some more time, so we don’t need to make a decision either way right now.”

“No, we don’t and if they insist and we still aren’t ready, we just go see the Maesters, no argument.”

“Alright, now are you joining me in bed tonight?”

“Of course, when haven’t I after the first time?”

“I was only asking.”

**************

Things carried on as they had been with the couple becoming ever closer. Nicole got a little bit bolder in her touches and allowed her hands to stray to previously unencountered areas while they were kissing but was still wary of pushing too far. Besides she was enjoying everything they had been doing. They might be taking things slowly but that didn’t mean the slow way wasn’t enjoyable in itself. 

One afternoon Waverly asked Nicole to go riding with her. When they reached the stables only Nicole’s horse was saddled. Nicole didn’t want to jump to conclusions so waited for her wife to say something.   
“Yes Nicole, I want to ride with you. It’s something I want to experience and it’s probably not a good idea once I’m pregnant.”

“....”

“Soon, Nicole, soon. Now let’s go riding.”

Waverly settled in front of her wife, who held her close and they were soon cantering across the meadows. The afternoon was finally able to replace the memories of a previous ride. 

*************

About a week later they were relaxing in bed for a moment before going to sleep. Waverly encouraged Nicole onto her back and then straddled her wife. She kissed her deeply with a passion they had not yet experienced. Waverly sat back on her heels and removed her nightshirt.   
“Waverly! What are you doing?”

“Do you really need to ask?”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”


	21. Is She Or Isn’t She

Nicole woke with the dawn as she usually did with her wife in her arms. The difference that morning was that they were both still naked. Waverly shifted against her causing a shiver to run through her body. Her wife slowly came awake then turned in her arms and treated her to a morning kiss.

“Good morning sweetheart. Are you okay? I didn’t hurt you last night, did I?”

“Morning, I feel amazing and no you didn’t hurt me. I am a little sore though I believe that’s to be expected.”

“No regrets? Just because this has happened once, it’s still up to you how we move forward. I won’t suddenly be expecting this to happen all the time.”

“I don’t regret anything and after your performance last night, this is certainly not going to be a one-off.”

“I’m glad I didn’t do anything to put you off. Still there are no expectations.”

“As you long as you carry on as you have been we’ll have no problems. Now as much as I’d love to stay in bed all day we do have things to do.”

“For this morning at least, we’re free this afternoon!”

***********

Nicole and Waverly were enjoying their new-found closeness, so much so that if any of the servants asked where they were in an afternoon the only response was a raised eyebrow. Not that the couple would have cared even if they’d found out. It was their duty to provide an heir and until they were sure they had one (plus a couple of extras) they needed to try as much as possible. 

Nicole wondered if they’d had any success yet. For all the advancements the Maesters had made, they had yet to devise a trustworthy way of confirming if someone was pregnant, unless they had assisted them, so it was very much wait and see. She looked for any little sign to let her know there was a new life on the way. The one thing she refrained from doing was asking Waverly. She didn’t want her wife to feel pressured. It would happen when it happened. 

Waverly found her wife kept looking at her in a thoughtful way. She could guess why and was grateful she wasn’t pressing the subject. Waverly herself speculated if she was pregnant yet. She tried to work out if she felt anything different but she wasn’t sure what was real and what was her imagination. 

The couple were fairly sure there was no doubt left, when for the second morning in a row, Waverly dashed out of the dining room following breakfast due to feeling unwell. Other symptoms followed and they were convinced Waverly was pregnant. They decided to put off telling Nicole’s parents for a while. They wouldn’t lie if asked but they wanted to keep it to themselves for a while. 

If Waverly thought her wife was considerate before, ever since they found out she was pregnant Nicole had doted on her. The redhead was concerned over every little thing she did. So far, she had had to convince her wife to let her continue riding though she had agreed to only go at a gentle speed on well-worn paths. She also had to encourage her to continue practicing for the next child. Nicole had reservations but she didn’t take too much convincing to carry on at least for now. 

Nicole was enjoying every minute of Waverly’s pregnancy. If something was a problem for her wife she tried her best to fix it. She suggested Waverly had a lighter breakfast to help with her morning sickness. Not all her suggestions were as well received but she determined to keep trying. If Waverly had to deal with the physical issues of having the baby, the least she could do was try her best to help as much as she could. 

Lady Haught was the first to realise her daughter-in-law might be pregnant with the expected heir. The two couples continued to have dinner together twice a week and by now the matriarch was well aware of everyone’s preferred dishes. Waverly always avoided those that were strong in garlic but for the last few weeks she couldn’t seem to get enough of it. Lady Haught remembered her own pregnancy with Nicole and the cravings for unusual things she too had endured. She understood the pair keeping it to themselves, but it was time they were allowed to share in the good news. 

“Nicole do you and Waverly have something to tell us?”

“Mother?”

“Don’t play coy. Your wife doesn’t like garlic but can’t stop eating it. Do I need to go on?”

“No, I’m happy to announce that Waverly is pregnant with our first child.”

“Congratulations to you both.”

“Yes, yes congratulations. I’m so happy for us all.”

“Thank you, Mother, Father.”

“Don’t worry I’ll keep your father in check. This is your baby not his heir. Your place is at your wife’s side now. Oh, and Waverly feel free to ask me anything you’d like to know. We’ll leave it to you both to setup the nursery and servants for the new arrival.”

The following morning Waverly sent a short note to Wynonna announcing the pregnancy. The reply she received went into graphic detail on the problems her older sister had encountered during her pregnancies and giving birth. Waverly hadn’t expected anything less to be honest. The closing line expressed Wynonna’s true joy for her sister. 

Waverly continued to develop cravings and they always appeared at unusual times. Nicole was always on hand to fetch whatever she wanted. She even went to the kitchens herself to instruct the cook if her wife wanted something specific. She wouldn’t trust the servants to deliver the message correctly. Nothing was too much for her to do for Waverly. 

So far there was one aspect of Waverly’s pregnancy that was causing Nicole an issue. When her wife got frustrated or upset she got very emotional. At times it seemed the simplest thing could start her crying and Nicole didn’t know how to comfort her properly. Whatever she tried appeared to be wrong. Waverly was also developing a jealous streak. Old insecurities rose to the surface if Nicole spent any time talking to a young woman no matter how innocent it was. She was careful to limit her contact as much as possible but some things couldn’t be avoided and this was only the beginning of Waverly’s pregnancy.


	22. Wynonna and Doc Pay A Brief Visit

Doc and Wynonna had planned to visit in the summer so he could help Lord Haught with his horses. While this was no longer practical given the changes at House Earp, a shorter visit was planned so Doc could introduce Lord Haught to his older brother who would be a suitable replacement in their deal. This was an acceptable change to all as it allowed Lord Haught to receive the advice he needed, Doc to keep up his part of the deal and Stephen Holliday access to the advantages of an association with another Lord. The children would not be travelling with them this time. They were still being extra cautious with them following Bobo’s threats. As they were here for business they would be staying in the main part of the house this time but Wynonna intended to spend most of her time with her sister. Stephen’s family stayed at his small estate on Holliday land. 

It didn’t take long after they arrived for Wynonna to find Waverly in her sitting room.   
“Wynonna. How are the children?”

“Growing and starting to cause mischief. They have Doc wrapped around round their little fingers. Honestly it’s like I have three children sometimes.”

“I think Nicole’s going to be the same.”

“How are you?”

“I’ve had a bit of morning sickness and some weird cravings but I’m well.”

“I can see. I’ve never seen you look this happy. There was no mention of a trip to the Maesters in your note. So how did my little nibling come about?”

“We didn’t need any help. That’s all I’m saying.”

“You were okay with that? She didn’t push you into anything did she?”

“It was my choice Wynonna. Nicole would never do anything like that. She even told me afterwards that just because we’d been together once it didn’t mean she had expectations from then on. I could still change my mind. That actually finally settled things for me. Things have changed since you were last here. We’re a couple in every sense now.”

“I’m happy for you. I wondered a while ago if everything was alright. There were rumours floating about.”

“We had a bit of a rough time, but we’ve worked through it.”

“I don’t need to threaten her again, do I?”

“No!”

“You truly are happy?”

“Yes Wynonna. It took me some time to work out how I really felt about Nicole but now I couldn’t imagine life with anyone else and with the baby on the way everything is coming together.”

“I’m glad things worked out for you.”

How are things with the House?”

“It’s taking some getting used to. Neither Doc or I ever expected to be running a House. We wanted a quiet life but our children will be the ones who benefit. Whichever is named the next Lord Haught will be raised knowing they will have that power and will hopefully repair the reputation of the House. Doc and I can’t really help the House in that respect.”

“I’m sure you’ll raise them both to be responsible, respected Nobles and there is nothing wrong with you and Doc.”

“I didn’t want things to work out this way. Willa wanted the House and I wouldn’t have fought for it if she’d had a child to be heir.”

“Willa was selfish. I hate that Noblewomen are reduced to brood mares but one of our main functions in this Kingdom is to provide our Houses and spouses with heirs to continue the line. She was more concerned with enjoying herself because she thought she had time and she’s suffering for it.”

“Bobo is being treated like a pariah now. His threats have become known in the capital and none will deal with him. It’s said he’s taking his frustrations out on Willa.”

“She doesn’t deserve that no matter what she’s done.”

“I don’t want to talk about them anymore. Let’s talk about something else. Tell me more about what you have been getting up to with your wife.”

The sisters spent the next few hours catching up with everything that had been going on in their lives since they last met. They wrote to each other quite often but it wasn’t the same as being able to talk in person. Eventually they were joined by Nicole who had been with her father to be introduced to Doc’s brother. Wynonna got her first look at the couple together since things had changed and she saw just how happy they were. After Nicole had greeted her sister-in-law the first thing she did was go over to Waverly and treated her wife to a small kiss, with her hand placed over her belly. 

As all the ladies knew the men would be insufferable and spend the entire meal talking about their plans and as it was just family in one way or another, everyone split up for dinner each evening. Lord Haught hosted the Holliday brothers and Nicole and Waverly hosted Wynonna and Lady Haught. The conversations at table couldn’t have been more different. The men spent the entire time talking about horses and the ladies’ conversation was focused on babies. Under the circumstances it suited everyone very well. 

The visit may only have been short but Wynonna found a suitable opportunity to talk to Nicole alone.   
“So, did you finally get the nerve to tell her how you feel?”

“No, I would never have forced my feelings onto her. She eventually admitted she had feelings for me.”

“I told you she might.”

“I know but it had to be up to her.”

“You’ve moved quickly since with a baby on the way.”

“Not as quick as you might think but you know how it is. We must secure the future of the House. After what happened with your father mine became even more nervous.”

“Yes, I know Waverly was bought to give you an heir. Luckily she seemed happy about it and that fact that you’re taking ‘care’ of her.”

“I’m not going to talk about that with you.”

“Spoilsport Waverly wouldn’t discuss it either. I get it. It’s your business. What I’m going to make my business is rumours I’ve heard. Waverly seems okay now but if she wasn’t you wouldn’t have survived this encounter.”

“Are you threatening me in my own House?”

“Are you questioning my right to?”

“No as Waverly’s sister you have every right to defend her. I made a stupid mistake and I promise you it won’t happen again. She and our child are my life. I won’t do anything to risk that.”

“I’ve seen you two together and I believe you. It’s good for you that I do.”

“Do you really think you could hurt me? I’ve been trained to defend myself.”

“You’ve been trained to fight fair. If your opposition doesn’t care about that they may have an advantage. I picked up my fighting skills hanging around our men at arms. I think we’d both have a chance. Regardless even if I knew you’d beat me I’d still try if I felt you deserved it.”

“If I felt I deserved it I wouldn’t even try to defend myself.”

“It’s never going to come to that though is it?”

“No, I’m never going to hurt your sister again.”

“Glad to hear it!”

Stephen Haught was at least as knowledgeable about horses as his younger brother and Lord Haught was impressed with his ideas for improving his stock. Doc had told his brother what he had planned and he had built on them. He would stay behind and bring their plans to fruition while Doc returned to the running of House Earp. It was clear from Doc’s enthusiasm that he’d really rather be working with horses than dealing with his new responsibilities. Lord Haught took the opportunity to have a final few words with Doc. 

“Holliday. I know this doesn’t need to be said but it’s a good man who fulfils his commitments even when circumstances change. By working things out with your brother you help us to forge bonds between our respective Houses.”

“I’m trying my best.”

“I know you never thought that you’d ever be in the position of running a House, especially one you weren’t born to, but you must make the best of it. You’re Noble born remember that.”

“I will do everything in my power to pass House Earp to my children in the best state possible both the physical Lands and the connections with other Houses.”

“Carry on as you are, and those connections will come. I hope this connection will only strengthen.”

“Thank you. I hope when cousins rule our two Houses they still have that bond.”

The visit was only a few days but plans were made for Wynonna to come back once the baby was born. She was determined to meet her new nibling as soon as possible. She was going to try to bring the children with her so they could meet their cousin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry I’m behind on replying to comments I had family commitments this weekend. I’ll try to get caught up tomorrow. 
> 
> I’ve noticed a few people asking the same question. An early chapter must not have been as clear as I thought. I was going for subtle but seem to have landed on oblivious. As might be obvious, because I’m trying to get this written in a month this is not as polished as I’d like but I am planning to go back through once it’s finished to edit and clean it up a bit. 
> 
> Anyway in answer to the question how did Waverly get pregnant I refer you back to the chapter where we find out about House Haught. Five year old Nic is read as Nicole but no more details are given.


	23. Baby Haught

Waverly’s pregnancy continued on its course. Her morning sickness disappeared but her cravings continued and Nicole had gotten used to her wife smelling vaguely of garlic. Unfortunately, as Waverly became more visibly pregnant her jealousy of Nicole’s dealings with any young women increased. Nicole racked her brains to come up with a way of dealing with the jealousy. She made sure that Waverly knew she still found her desirable and that she was committed to her and their child. Waverly’s insecurity stemmed from her actions so she felt the first focus should be on reassuring her wife there was no cause for doubt. 

When Waverly kept getting upset, Nicole felt forced to make changes in their household for a few months to help keep the peace. After a brief chat with her mother, the younger women who regularly came into contact with Nicole were temporarily moved to work in the main house with older women moved into their wing to replace them. Luckily Nicole’s personal maid had been with her for many years and wasn’t a cause for concern. She was careful not to engage her wife’s maid in conversation. Waverly realised what had been done and why. She accepted it was probably a good idea but a bit cowardly of Nicole to avoid a discussion about it. 

They were working together to setup the nursery which connected to Waverly’s room on the other side from Nicole’s. The first piece of furniture that was moved into the room was a rocking chair that had been in House Haught for generations. Nicole couldn’t wait until she could watch Waverly rock their baby to sleep in the chair and for her own turn as well of course. An ornately carved crib that Lord Haught had commissioned dominated the room. It wasn’t the most practical thing but the idea came from a good place. 

Waverly and Nicole planned to be as involved in raising their children as possible but realised that they would need others to help. They had promoted a well trusted servant to head up the nursery staff, she had worked in Nicole’s nursery many years before. Nicole’s own nanny had been retired to a cottage in a nearby village once her charge grew too old to need her and she was invited to review the nursery arrangements along with the new nanny. Between them they made a formidable pair and were given the responsibility of suggesting other servants to work in the nursery.

Nicole loved holding her wife from behind so that she could hold both Waverly and the baby. It didn’t matter if they were standing, Waverly was sitting in her lap or if they were spooning in bed, Nicole’s hands were always resting on her wife’s belly. She loved to feel when the baby moved. On more than one occasion Waverly woke in the morning to find her wife with her head on her belly talking quietly to the baby.

All preparations had been made for the new baby, all that remained was for Waverly to give birth. Even as Nobles childbirth was not without its risks. Waverly’s mother had never really recovered from her birth and died not long afterwards. Nicole’s mother had a hard time with her birth as well. The Maester was on standby in case of any problems and the services of the local midwife had been engaged. Nicole was more than nervous she was downright scared but she tried not to let Waverly know. She was terrified of losing her wife and child. 

In the end Waverly’s labour lasted nearly twenty-four hours. She came through it exhausted but happy with a beautiful healthy baby. Nicole ended up with a severely bruised hand but she didn’t care. She couldn’t stop the tears from falling as she looked at her wife and child. The baby even had a tiny shock of red hair on top of their head. She snuggled with them on the bed until the midwife suggested Waverly try to sleep. Nicole took the baby and sat in the rocking chair and rocked gently back and forth staring with awe at the bundle in her arms until the nanny insisted that she went and got some sleep. 

Waverly was expected to spend several weeks recovering from the birth in bed but as soon as she awoke the baby and Nicole were brought in to see her. Nicole settled next to her wife on the bed with one arm around her and the other resting gently on the baby’s feet. The nanny scowled at her but she didn’t care.   
“How are you feeling?”

“Tired but so grateful they’re here safely.”

“I’m glad you’re both safe. I know we discussed a few names before but now they’re here, what do you think they should be called?”

“I don’t know, nothing seems to fit them. Do you have any ideas?”

“When I was holding them last night, the name Charlie came to mind. It’s a nice name in its own right and it can become Charles or Charlotte if they are read one way or the other.”

“Charlie Haught, Charles Haught, Charlotte Haught. I like it.”

“Do you want to wait a while to see if you change your mind?”

“No, I think our little one has a name.”

“When you have your rest, I’ll let my parents know. They’ll leave us alone today, but they’ll want to see Charlie tomorrow.”

“Of course, they want to see their new grandchild. Will you send a note to Wynonna please, let her know we’re both alright and tell her Charlie’s name.”

“Certainly. I can’t wait to share the good news. I’ll send Alex a note as well.”

“Oh yes. Wynonna has a visit planned but please let Alex know I’d welcome them here to meet their great-nibling.”

“I will but I’m sure they’ll be here in a few weeks for the hunt anyway.”

“They wouldn’t miss that. Seeing Charlie will be a bonus.”

“I’ll let you rest now. It’s time for Charlie’s nap as well. I’ll be back later.”

The next afternoon Lord and Lady Haught were brought to meet their grandchild. Lady Haught held Charlie and cooed at them, deftly managing the baby in her arms. It was clear at first glance she was planning to be a doting grandmother. Lord Haught was carefully supervised by his wife as he held his first grandchild for a few moments. 

“Charlie is a good strong name for one who will hopefully rule this House.”

“Yes dear, but it’ll be five years before we know one way or the other. Now let’s leave them to it.”

“Mother, father you are always welcome.”

“I’ll be back in a few days. Your father will take more interest once they are walking and talking. He wasn’t a natural with babies.”

“I’m still in the room you know.”

“We know, come on.”

Nicole spent as much time as possible with Waverly and Charlie, only leaving when they were both asleep and she was chased away by the nanny. She was looking forward to when Waverly was up and about again and they could start to get into a proper routine. Lady Haught visited every few days and spent a short while enjoying her grandchild. 

Wynonna’s congratulatory message was so heartfelt and full of useful hints that Waverly thought it came from someone else entirely. Her sister was overjoyed that she had been safely delivered of her child and confirmed her plans to visit in the near future. 

After nearly a month the midwife declared Waverly and Charlie fit to leave the room. Most days after followed the same pattern, as long as Nicole wasn’t needed by her father, each morning the new family spent time together in their sitting room, all three now shared the favoured chair. After lunch if the weather was fine they took Charlie for a walk into the woods that surrounded the house. Twice a week in the late afternoon before Charlie’s bedtime they were brought into the main house for their grandmother to spend some time with them and to give Nicole and Waverly a little time alone. Even though they had the nanny they tried to do as much themselves as possible. 

Charlie was a lively, inquisitive baby. They were always trying to raise their head and seemed to be looking at whoever was holding them. They had a fine set of vocal cords as well and if they were upset the entire House was aware. They slept well for their age and did not like being woken from a nap. They had Nicole’s smile and dimples but Waverly’s eyes. Charlie charmed all who saw them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a file with my plan for this story in and when I looked for this chapter it only had one word. Cuteness. So I hope this is sufficiently fluffy. 
> 
> We are getting near the end of our story but as you might have seen it’s now been changed to part of a series. I have a one shot collection planned to show snapshots of their life beyond the end of this story.


	24. A Problem Returns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s a bit of a change of pace in this chapter and it contains some violence. I don’t think it’s graphic but if that’s not your thing the beginning and end is marked with ++++++.  
> You shouldn’t miss anything plot wise.

When Charlie was a few months old, a rumour started circulating about Willa and Bobo. Apparently, Bobo had abandoned Willa at an inn outside the capital and was planning to try his chances in another country. 

Wynonna made enquiries and it was clear that Willa was alone at an inn with limited means to pay. She appeared to need assistance but hadn’t yet contacted either of her sisters. 

A series of messages between Wynonna and Waverly confirmed that the younger sister had no plans to assist their eldest sibling. Doc and Wynonna discussed what they could do to help her but keep her at a distance. 

It was against the laws of the land to keep a wife from her husband. If Willa came to House Earp, Bobo was free to follow her there. They wouldn’t put it past Bobo to try this as a stunt but it would reflect badly on the House if they ignored her plight. 

Eventually Doc found a sensible solution. He contacted his eldest brother at House Holliday and asked him to find a suitable dwelling for his sister-in-law, out of the way on his Lands. House Earp would provide Willa a small allowance, some of which would be sent to Lord Holliday for the inconvenience. 

This plan would secure Willa’s future without endangering House Earp. A message was sent to Willa offering this support. She accepted somewhat gracefully and was installed in a small cottage with a maid. All reports had her living a quiet life. Wynonna and Waverly both hoped Willa would cause no more problems. 

*************  
Nicole and Waverly were taking their usual afternoon walk through the forest with Charlie when they heard a shout of pain from behind them. They were being followed as always by a man at arms and Nicole was immediately on her guard. She passed Charlie to Waverly and pushed them behind her. Waverly cradled Charlie close protecting him from the oncoming threat. Nicole drew her sword and faced in the direction of the shout. Bobo came running through the trees with a sword in one hand and a dagger in the other. There was a haunted look in his eyes and he was almost wild with rage. 

++++++++++++  
Bobo lunged at Nicole but she managed to force him back away from her. Nicole was careful to keep her eye on him and tried not to let him closer to her family. 

“What the hell are you doing here Bobo?”

“I’ve lost everything because of you, so I’m going to take everything from you.”

“I didn’t do anything to you.”

“The rumours about me started with you. Besides at least Doc was smart enough to ban me from Earp Land. I was never banned from Haught Land so here I am.”

Bobo again lunged forwards, Nicole swung her sword low catching him on the leg but leaving herself open to a slash on her shoulder. Bobo screamed like a stuck pig and rushed her flailing his arms. Nicole managed to slice into Bobo’s hand which was holding the dagger causing him to drop it. Bobo was fighting like a man possessed with no care for his own safety but Nicole was fighting to save her family. 

“You need some better security here. Your man back there was no challenge. Once I’m done with you I’m going to enjoy ending your wife.”

“You really do have a death wish don’t you Bobo.”

Nicole decided enough was enough and went on the offensive. She surged forward, pushing Bobo back. She slashed across his body cutting deeply into his chest and sword arm as she moved back to make another slice Bobo was able to raise his sword and nick Nicole’s cheek before dropping his weapon. She put all her power into a sweep at Bobo’s leg, leaving a deep gash that caused him to drop to the ground. Nicole pushed him on his back, kicked his sword away and knelt on his chest with her sword at his throat.

“Do it! Kill me!”

Nicole laughed then reversed her hold on her sword and knocked Bobo unconscious with the pommel. Once she was sure he wasn’t going to wake up she turned her attention to her wife. 

“Are you and Charlie alright?”

“We’re fine. You’re bleeding.”

“We need to get out of here before he comes around. I don’t think he could do much with his wounds but I’m not willing to risk it. I don’t think he had company but stick close to me just in case.”

They walked quickly back towards the house. It didn’t take them long to find their man at arms as he laid slain in the path. There was nothing they could do for him so they hurried on. 

++++++++++++  
As soon as they got to the House Nicole sent six men heavily armed to bring back Bobo. Two more were dispatched to bring back the man at arms’ body. Waverly took Charlie to the nursery while Nicole went straight to her father's library. He was shocked when she walked through the door battered and bleeding. 

“Nicole! What happened?”

“Bobo ambushed us in the woods. He killed our man at arms then attacked me. I’ve sent men to bring him back.”

“Are Waverly and Charlie unharmed?”

“Yes father.”

“Are they bringing back Del Ray or his body?”

“Him but he will need to see the Maester.”

“What do you want me to do with him?”

“I don’t want us to be accused of bias. Send for the King’s men and have him tried in that court.”

“Very well but for now he can enjoy a stay in our cells. He can see the Maester once he has dealt with your wounds. Now go I will deal with this. Get yourself checked then go see your wife and child.”

“I made a mistake father I should have banned him from our Lands once he was banned from the Earp’s. It’s my fault he was able to do this.”

“You couldn’t have foreseen this, and the fault is mine. I rule this House and I underestimated him. I’m sorry. Now please go have that wound dressed.”

Nicole went to see the Maester who dressed her shoulder wound. It was deep but should heal cleanly if she rested it. He also put a bandage on her cheek. As she left to head to the nursery she heard Bobo being dragged into the courtyard. He was raving like a madman. She ignored what was going on and went straight back to her wife only stopping to change her shirt. She didn’t want to return to her wife bloody. 

Waverly was sat in the rocking chair with Charlie when Nicole got to the nursery. She knelt in front of the chair and placed her head in her wife’s lap.   
“He’s in the cells for now. I’ve asked father to send him to the King’s court, with the family connection I thought that was best.”

“My family connection. You’d have never met him if it wasn’t for me. He wouldn’t have attacked you if it wasn’t for me.”

“Stop. This was all down to him. If he hadn’t acted the way he did, none of this would have happened.”

“Why didn’t you kill him? It was within your rights.”

“I didn’t need to. He may well die for his crimes but he can rot in a cell first. Besides I didn’t want you or Charlie to see me do that.”

“Are you really alright? What did the Maester say?”

“In time I will be good as new. Why don’t you write Wynonna and let her know the threat to her children is over and then try to forget about him. He’s not worth the energy.”

Wynonna was livid when she found out what had occurred. She was sorely tempted to take out her anger with Bobo on his wife but by all accounts, he had already done so. She wished her father had never let Bobo Del Ray anywhere near their family.


	25. King Nedley’s Tour

Years ago, when King Nedley’s eldest child was old enough to be read the people of Trecrath held their breath but they turned out not to be the needed heir. There was no real cause for concern as the King had two younger children with a fourth on the way. Princess Chrissy was a sweet girl and a favourite with her father. It was a fortunate House that she eventually married into. 

A year later and the Kingdom rejoiced as the King’s second child was read as the needed son and heir. As part of the celebrations the King toured Trecrath and visited the Noble Houses to assess the state of the Kingdom he would one day pass to his son. 

Now Prince George’s eldest children, a set of twins, were old enough to be read and the King awaited the results like the rest of his Kingdom. He was overjoyed when both were read as boys. The future of his House and rule was secured for another generation. Prince George himself was a reticent man, with quick, keen eyes who observed everything but rarely commented. 

King Nedley planned another tour of Trecrath, this time taking Prince George with him to show him the Kingdom he would one day inherit. The plan was to travel from the capital in the south up one side of the country to the north then back down the other side. Major Houses would be honoured by hosting the King and Prince overnight. Even the minor Houses would receive a short visit. 

Those Lords who preferred to spend their time in the capital near the King, rushed back to their estates to ensure everything was in order. They all awaited the publication of the itinerary. Those who had hosted the King on his previous trip, hoped to do so again. Others had hopes they would be favoured this time. 

House Earp hadn’t hosted the King last time and Lord Ward Earp had been quite vocal about his displeasure at being snubbed. This hadn’t exactly improved relations with the King. House Haught hadn’t hosted either but they felt honoured to just receive a visit. Neither House had expectations for this visit. 

The itinerary was published and the families at Houses Earp and Haught were both surprised to find they would both be hosting their King overnight. House Earp would be visited when the King reached the north and House Haught on his way back south. The tour would take several weeks so there would be time to prepare. 

Wynonna and Doc were very nervous about the King’s visit. They currently had control of House Earp at his volition and he could take it away at any point. They carefully checked that everything was in order. They didn’t want him to have any reason to find fault. Reports and rumours from the Houses already visited were a mixed bag. At some the King had been magnanimous with his favours but others had received a rebuke for one reason or another. 

Eventually the day of the King’s visit arrived. He was to be there in time for dinner, spend the night and leave the following morning. The family assembled in the great hall to await the royal party. They were trying to corral the children into order. Doc would be the one to lead the introductions. 

“My liege, your grace. Welcome to House Earp. My I present my wife Wynonna and our children Al and Jo.”

“They are the future of this House as my grandsons are the future of mine. It has been a busy day; may we rest before dinner.”

“Of course Sire, your rooms are ready. Please follow me.”

Much thought had been put into the meal to serve the Royal party. In the end it was decided to serve classical dishes made from the game and produce of their Lands. Wynonna was determined to leave the conversation to Doc unless specifically spoken to. She didn’t want her usual outspokenness to hurt her family's future. Everyone took their place at table and waited for the King to open the conversation. 

“You understand that I am kept updated on happenings within the Houses. House Earp has been a cause for concern since the beginning of my reign. Ward’s deal with a man like Del Ray wasn’t uncommon but his decision not to have you or your sister read was disappointing. Wynonna your decision to take some control over your life was encouraging but I wouldn’t advise other women to copy your methods. Holliday, the fact that when faced with a situation of your own making you stood up and did the right thing without having to be coerced made me think you were a man who when pushed showed how honourable you could be.”

“I know our situation caused a scandal, but we have tried to live our lives decently since and to bring up our children responsibly.”

“When Ward died without an obvious heir but with your children a possibility I decided this House deserved another chance. Del Ray was already showing his true colours but you two have handled things to the best of your ability. I wanted to see this for myself. If you continue as you are, if you lead this House honourably and have a child who is properly read as a boy, you have nothing to fear from me. Bring up your children not to make the same mistakes as their elders and House Earp could one day rise to greatness again.”

“You honour us Sire.”

“You have also dealt properly with Del Ray’s wife. There are many Houses who if they were in the same situation would have ignored her plight but it was handled very sensibly. She is installed comfortably on your brother’s estate which doesn’t allow her to interfere here. Del Ray is still rotting in a cell in the capital. I haven’t yet decided his fate. He needs to stand as example to others. This Kingdom encourages men to improve their situation in life but his ambition and sense of entitlement outweighed his class and abilities. To make threats of violence to one House and then attack another. The man must have taken leave of his senses. If he and his wife had just had the necessary heir I would not have interfered. I believe the current arrangement will prove better for this House’s future.”

The rest of dinner passed uneventfully as the King asked several questions about the estate and received satisfactory answers. The Royal party left shortly after dawn, following a quick breakfast to travel onwards to another House. Wynonna and Doc breathed a sigh of relief when they left. The visit had gone better than they imagined. They had the King’s blessing to lead the House and they were optimistic for the future. 

Meanwhile at House Haught preparations were underway for their own visit. They had received a note from Wynonna about the success of their visit and hoped for the same from their own. Nicole was still healing from her encounter with Bobo and Charlie was teething as well so the entire House was stressed and on edge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just one chapter left on this one. King Nedley visits House Haught
> 
> A plot bunny attacked me last night with an idea for a Regency/Jane Austen AU for our ladies. I might try and tackle it in the new year.


	26. The Haught Heir

Every care had been taken to prepare House Haught for the Royal visit. As with every other House they wanted to impress their King. They still couldn’t understand why they had been chosen to host the King but assumed they’d find out once he arrived. 

“My liege. Your grace. Welcome to House Haught. May I present my wife Jane, our daughter Nicole and her wife Waverly with their child Charlie.”

“Ah yes. This House tends to keep the next generation close.”

“It allows us to pass our knowledge on.”

“It wasn’t meant unkindly. The Haught’s are a sensible lot on the whole which is more than can be said for most other Houses.”

“Would you care to rest before dinner Sire?”

“Yes, lead the way.”

The ladies hurried to finalise the dinner preparations once the men had left and Charlie was taken back into their parent’s wing. Dinner highlighted the game available on their Lands, it heavily featured venison and boar and included a dish made with goat from the limestone moor. They expected the conversation at dinner to be between the King and Lord Haught but were surprised on that point. 

“I can tell you’re wondering why I chose to stay at this House.”

“We’re honoured by your presence Sire.”

“Yes, well there have been some interesting things happening here recently and even before that. Haught you’re a good man, to let an only child be read when you needed a son and heir.”

“I believe that children should be brought up as they are. My sibling Alex is proof of that.”

“Nicole, there are not many who would have taken Del Ray alive after he attacked them and threatened their family. You would not have been blamed for his death.”

“I didn’t want my wife and child to witness that.”

“Very laudable but he was also sent through to my court. He could have been dealt with at the House court very easily.”

“Perhaps it was over cautious but with his link to my wife’s family I preferred to have him tried impartially.”

“Hmm. I heard about the transformation in the north of your Land brought about by you and your wife. That piece of land was included when the first Lord Haught was raised up because it added to the acreage without adding any value. It has remained useless for generations until you proved it to be worth a small fortune.”

“It was Waverly’s idea to check for limestone actually.”

“Hmm signs of intelligence not often found in an Earp in recent generations and encouraging for the two of you to be working together. Nicole you have more good sense than most of the heirs your age I’ve met. You work to learn from your father and make sensible decisions when needed but you’re not his heir, that will be your son. You will only lead on his behalf until he is of age if necessary.”

“As is the law Sire.”

“Well I am the law in this Kingdom and I decree you will be your father’s heir. Too many young men rule Houses without your sense. Why should House Haught be denied your input just because you are a woman. I say this in front of my own heir. When a woman proves herself the equal of any man with intelligence, good sense and restraint use this case as precedent.”

“Yes father, from the information I have heard Nicole Haught will rule this House truly and if in time there is another such woman I will make the same decision.”

“Sire. You name my daughter as my heir.”

“Yes Haught, I assume you have no objections.”

“No Sire I’d be honoured to have Nicole as my heir.”

“Nicole rather than your first read son being your father’s heir he will now be yours and if there is no son as long as a child of yours has their own this House will not be at risk.”

“Thank you Sire.”

“You’ve earned this. Don’t make me regret it. Your conduct and reputation may lead to other women being given this opportunity.”

“I will do my best for this House and my King.”

“That is all I ask. Now tell me more about how it was determined that the barren land contained limestone. There’s Royal land that may useful after all.”

The rest of the meal was centred around discussions on the limestone quarry. The Royal party retired to bed early and so did the Haught household exhausted after the evenings revelations. 

Early the next morning the King was ready to depart. He had some closing words for Nicole who was holding Charlie. 

“Enjoy your time with your children while you can. I came to the throne not long after George was born, and I wish I had more time with my own children.”

“I spend as much time with my family as I can.”

“I encourage my children to do the same. Once we return from this tour George will be free of commitments for a while to allow for this.”

“I look forward to it father.”

“Well we must be on our way.”

Nicole and Waverly returned to their own wing after bidding farewell to the Royal party. After the King’s closing comments Lady Haught wanted to spend the day with her grandchild, so Charlie was left in the main House. 

“I’m glad that’s over.”

“What an outcome though. The future of House Haught secured no matter how Charlie is read. You will rule this House and together we’ll help it prosper.”

“That doesn’t mean we don’t need any more children though.”

“Of course. In fact, given we have no plans for the rest of the day, why don’t we make a start on getting the next one.”

“I like how you think. I’ll let the servants know we aren’t to be disturbed and then join you upstairs.”

“Don’t be long. I’ll be waiting impatiently.”

Waverly made her way to her bedroom and Nicole dashed to see the housekeeper. She didn’t want to waste one minute when she could be enjoying her wife. She hurried upstairs to find Waverly reclined naked on the bed and Nicole made quick work of joining her. No one was brave enough to try to disturb them for the rest of the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so that’s it for this one. I might not have managed 50,000 words but I got 35,000 written which is a win for me. I want to thank everyone who read along and commented without you I doubt I’d have found the energy to continue. 
> 
> Once I’ve had a bit of breathing space I will be going back through and making some edits. Nothing that will change the plot, just tidying a few things up. Think of it as the directors cut. I’ll put a note on when I’m done. 
> 
> There will be a one shot collection in this universe going up as and when I get inspired. If there’s something you’d like included let me know on here or tumblr (same name on both). 
> 
> I already have ideas for another couple of stories, the one I mentioned yesterday and a really angsty one set in future of the canon universe.


End file.
